KANAGAWA (TR) — Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested two men for allegedly hiding approximately 42 million yen worth of methamphetamine at a home in Saitama Prefecture, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Apr. 9).
Saburo Shimada, 40, and Yosuke Nishikawa, 35, are accused of violating the Stimulant Control Law by possessing roughly 790 grams of kakuseizai (methamphetamine) for commercial distribution last December.
The seizure is estimated to be the equivalent of about 40,000 doses.
Authorities have not disclosed whether Shimada and Nishikawa have admitted to the allegations.
According to police, the illicit stash was concealed under the floor of an unoccupied home in Kasukabe City, Saitama that is managed by Shimada’s relatives.
Officers reportedly observed the pair dividing the powder into smaller packets, placing them into a black tote bag, and stowing it away in the crawlspace. The drugs had been hidden there for over two weeks before being confiscated during a subsequent raid.
The bag also contained several other powders believed to be drugs, and police are conducting further analysis.
Police are currently investigating the drug acquisition routes and probing deeper ties to organized crime syndicates, operating on the assumption that the pair regularly sold the narcotics for profit.
Harboring a criminal
Last year, Shimada was arrested on suspicion of harboring a criminal. He allegedly conspired with a yakuza leader to hide a man who had caused a traffic accident and fled the scene. He was later released pending further investigation.
According to police, the current charges against him arose when they examined security camera footage from a related location and saw the two men entering an empty house.
