Illegal drugs getting into Japan via international mail

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 25 Jul 2004 - 1:00 PDT

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Due to a recent increase in illegal drugs sent by international mail to unsuspecting third parties, Osaka Customhouse has advised caution if people receive international packages on behalf of acquaintances.

According to customhouse officials, members of drug-trafficking organizations dupe acquaintances into receiving illegal drugs by asking them to receive international packages as a favor.

At a post office in Kansai Airport in March, customhouse officials discovered about 300 grams of cocaine inside a wooden mural decoration and another 200 grams of cocaine inside a cookbook. The packages, which were shipped from Brazil, were addressed to a woman in Kanazawa and a woman in Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture, respectively.

The packages were then sent to the women, and after the officials confirmed that they had accepted them, the two were questioned. They said they were asked by a Nigerian man in Kanazawa to receive international packages on his behalf.

Osaka Customhouse officials and the Osaka and Ishikawa prefectural police arrested the man on suspicion of violating the Narcotics Control Law.

According to the investigation, the women became acquainted with the man after he approached them on the street. They said they knew nothing about the contents of the packages, adding that they did not think the request was unusual. CONTINUES...............www.yomiuri.co.jp