TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a Finnish national for allegedly smuggling a massive haul of cocaine through Haneda International Airport hidden inside a modified suitcase, reports Nippon News Network (Oct. 7).
Minna Eveliina Mannonen is accused of attempting to smuggle approximately 3.2 kilograms of cocaine from France into Japan for commercial purposes on October 4.
According to the Tokyo police, the contraband has an estimated street value of 76.8 million yen.
Upon questioning on suspicion of violating the Narcotics Control Act, Mannonen adamantly denied the allegations. “The cocaine is not mine,” the suspect told investigators, claiming she had been set up. “My ex-boyfriend or someone else might have planted it.”
The illicit drugs were discovered by Haneda Customs officials during a routine baggage inspection. Investigators say the narcotics had been divided into two transparent bags and meticulously concealed within a suitcase that had been altered to feature a false bottom.
