CHIBA (TR) – The Narita Branch of Tokyo Customs and the Narita International Airport Police Station last week jointly announced the arrest of a male Spanish national for allegedly attempting to smuggle marijuana.
The arrest was made after a drug-detection dog found 16 kilograms of marijuana inside the suitcase of 37-year-old Carlos Rao Quesada on September 20.
The marijuana has a street value of about 80 million yen, reports TBS News (Oct. 11).
Upon his arrest on suspicion of violating the Cannabis Control Act for smuggling, Quesada admitted to the allegations. “I intended to use it myself or sell it at bars and clubs in Tokyo,” the suspect said.
Prior to the discovery, Quesada boarded a flight from Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Upon arrival at Narita International Airport, the drug-detection dog Momotaro — male, aged 2 years and 6 months — sniffed around the suspect’s suitcase at a baggage handling area.
After the dog sat down in front of the luggage, customs officials discovered the marijuana inside a plastic bag.
The amount of marijuana is the second-highest among airline passengers at Narita International Airport over the past 20 years, customs officials said.
“We would like to continue contributing to the crackdown on illegal drugs,” said Yasumitsu Okada, the head of the Drug Detection Dog Training Center.
