TOKYO (TR) – A 31-year-old man in custody over the robbery of an illegal casino last year has been further accused of growing marijuana, police said, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Mar. 13).
Between the middle of last August and January 16, Yukari Yoshino, of no known occupation, allegedly cultivated 9 hemp plants at a residence in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture.
“Since I cultivated [the marijuana] for my own use, it was not for money-making purposes,” the suspect was quoted the Ikebukuro Police Station in partially denying the allegations.
Police also found 313 grams of dry marijuana inside the residence. The street value of the hemp plants, weighing around 502 grams, and dry marijuana is 4.08 million yen, police said.
Early on September 18, Yoshino allegedly headed a gang that burst into a casino located near JR Ikebukuro Station in Toshima Ward. After showing a knife, they fled the scene with about 2 million yen in cash.
During that investigation, police searched the Tokorozawa residence. Officers found the 9 hemp plants in bowls under a tent. The dry marijuana was inside plastic bags.
“I bought the bowls and seeds on the internet,” Yoshino told police.
