OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police have announced the arrest of two Brazilian nationals for smuggling cocaine into Japan by swallowing packets containing the drugs and concealing them inside their bodies, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Oct. 15).
According to police, Mendonca Lopez Diego, 38, and a 19-year-old woman, entered the country together at Kansai Airport aboard a flight from Brazil via France in mid-August.
The cocaine was hidden inside cocoon-like objects measuring up to 5 centimeters in length. The pair had swallowed a total of more than 150 of them, with a total weight of 1.5 kilograms.
The amount of cocaine retrieved from the body of Lopes totaled 888 grams, which has a street value of around 22.2 million yen.
Police did not reveal whether the suspects admit to allegations of violating the Narcotics Control Act regarding smuggling.
Upon the arrival of the suspects at Kansai Airport, customs officers Customs officials became suspicious of the small amount of luggage the pair had. They were also aware of the recent rise in drug smuggling cases from Brazil.
They then decided to conduct voluntary abdominal X-rays on the suspects. The scans led to the discovery of objects in their abdomens. CT scans later conducted at a hospital revealed a large number of cocoon-shaped objects.
