TOKYO (TR) – Law enforcement earlier this year arrested a male British national after the discovery of nearly 50 kilograms of illegal drugs, including the synthetic drugs MDMA and ketamine, at a private lodging facility in Toshima Ward, reports NHK (Sep. 19).
In June, officers from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s Kanto-Shinetsu Regional Narcotics Control Division working off a tip searched the lodging facility and found approximately 47 kilograms of illegal drugs.
Among the illegal drugs was approximately 44 kilograms of tablets containing the synthetic drug MDMA. The entire seizure has a street value of around 600 million yen.
Officers also arrested British national William Albert Priestley, 58, who was staying at the lodging facility, on suspicion of violating the Narcotics Control Act by conspiring with several foreigners to smuggle illegal drugs for profit.
Priestley has been accused of possessed approximately 1 kilogram of MDMA tablets and approximately 2 kilograms of ketamine powder, both of which are narcotics.
According to the Narcotics Control Division, this is the largest amount of synthetic drugs ever seized in a single transaction.
The Narcotics Control Agency has not revealed whether Priestley has admitted to the crime, citing it as a hindrance to the investigation.
Subsequent investigations have revealed that the MDMA and other drugs are believed to have been smuggled as carry-on luggage from the U.K. to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport via India on June 24.
The Narcotics Control Agency believes that an international drug smuggling organization is involved. The investigation is ongoing, including into who transported the drugs.
