Latest news with #NarcoticsControlAct
Tokyo Reported
a day ago
- Tokyo Reported
Tokyo taxi driver on cocaine causes crash, begs victim to not call police
TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police allege that a male taxi driver was impaired by cocaine when he crashed his private car into another vehicle on a street in Edogawa Ward last month, injuring the other driver. Afterward, Takahide Kaneko, 26, begged the second driver to not alert the authorities, reports Jiji Press (Aug. 14). The incident happened at 9:05 a.m. on July 4, when Kaneko swerved his car across the center line and rear-ended a light vehicle waiting at a traffic light. The male driver of the other vehicle suffered bone fractures and other injuries, police said. When police arrived, Kaneko appeared to be acting strangely. An analysis of his urine gave a positive result for cocaine. Upon his arrest on suspicion of violating the Road Traffic Act regarding dangerous driving resulting in injury, Kaneko, a resident of Edogawa, denied the charges. 'I'm sure I caused the accident, but I was not driving while under the influence of cocaine,' he said. Takahide Kaneko (X) At the time of the accident, Kaneko was off-duty. Immediately afterward, he urged the injured male driver to not alert anyone. 'Don't call the police! I'll pay 400,000 yen for damage this serious, so let's get this over with,' he said. Security camera footage shot before the accident captured Kaneko exhibiting unusual behavior, including kicking his own car in a convenience store parking lot. Since there were no signs at the scene that Kaneko applied the brakes on his vehicle, police believe that the effects of cocaine made it difficult for him to drive normally. The arrest is the second for Kaneko in this case. He was first arrested and indicted on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act for using cocaine. According to police, this is the first case in Tokyo of a driver being arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving resulting in injury after using cocaine.
Japan Today
2 days ago
- Japan Today
Man arrested on suspicion of causing accident while driving under influence of cocaine
Police in Tokyo have arrested a 26-year-old man on suspicion of dangerous driving causing injury while he was allegedly under the influence of cocaine. According to police, Tomomitsu Kaneko, a taxi driver, was driving his own car when he rear-ended another vehicle waiting at a traffic light in Edogawa Ward at around 9 a.m. on July 5, NHK reported. The driver of the car that was rear-ended suffered broken ribs and other injuries. After the accident, police said Kaneko was given a urine test and tested positive for cocaine, leading to his arrest and a second charge of violating the Narcotics Control Act. Just before the accident, Kaneko's car was seen colliding with a wall and crossing the center line, and there were no brake marks at the scene. He was driving at a speed of approximately 52 kilometers per hour when he hit the car waiting at the traffic light. Police officers who arrived at the scene after the accident suspected Kaneko of drug use, as he was wearing his clothes inside out, had different shoes on each side, and was slurring his speech. The accident occurred on a straight road with one lane in each direction with good visibility. Police said Kaneko has admitted causing the accident but denied using cocaine. © Japan Today
Tokyo Reported
3 days ago
- Tokyo Reported
Pot bust! Three Vietnamese arrested after record 1-ton marijuana seizure
TOKYO (TR) – Law enforcement on Wednesday announced the arrest of three Vietnamese nationals after the seizure of more than one ton of marijuana in Tochigi Prefecture earlier this year, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Aug. 13). The seizure is the largest on record for an illegal drug anywhere in Japan since statistics began being kept in 1951, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Narcotics Control Division. According to the division, the three Vietnamese nationals, including Pham Ngoc Thuy, 51, allegedly worked together to smuggle approximately 1,046 kilograms of marijuana — with a street value of approximately 5.2 billion yen — on a cargo ship that arrived at Tokyo Port from Da Nang Port in Vietnam in June. The marijuana was divided into 200 cardboard boxes inside a container and transported to a materials storage facility in Tochigi Prefecture. Two of the defendants are alleged to have possessed the marijuana at a storage facility on June 18. Pham is a renovator from Chikusei City, Ibaraki Prefecture. After their arrests, all three were indicted on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act. violating the Narcotics Control Act regarding smuggling. The division did not reveal whether the defendants admit to the allegations, citing it as a potential hindrance to the investigation. The smuggling was discovered during an inspection by Tokyo Customs. The final destination for the shipment was a business in Osaka City. The division is continuing the investigation, believing that the defendants were key players in receiving the shipment and that an international smuggling organization may be involved. Authorities seized more than one ton of marijuana from a storage facility in June (X) 'Smuggling operation' According to interviews with investigators and information on the ship's route published on a private website, the ship used for the smuggling departed Da Nang Port in Vietnam on May 26. It then passed through ports in China before arriving at Tokyo Port on June 5, reports NHK (Aug. 13). The large amount of marijuana brought into Japan was first discovered by Tokyo Customs, which inspects imported cargo. When the container was searched at Tokyo Port, marijuana was found hidden in 200 of the approximately 1,500 cardboard boxes that had been imported as charcoal. The Narcotics Control Bureau then did not immediately seize the marijuana, but instead conducted a 'live-controlled delivery,' a type of 'smuggling operation,' in order to uncover the smuggling ring. In a 'smuggling operation,' the drugs are sometimes switched with another item to avoid losing track of them, but in a 'live-controlled delivery' the cargo is tracked directly without being switched. This method was chosen to minimize the risk of being detected by the smuggling group. The large amount of marijuana was then transported out of the port under surveillance by the Narcotics Control Department. The original destination was Osaka City, but the marijuana was moved north and taken to the aforementioned storage facility in Tochigi Prefecture. The Narcotics Control Department subsequently arrested several Vietnamese nationals who had come to the storage facility to pick up the marijuana. A ship containing more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana arrived at Tokyo Port on June 5 (NHK) Marijuana use getting higher among young people Last year, customs officials made a record 390 marijuana smuggling-related busts nationwide at airports and ports last year. The underlying cause is thought to be the widespread abuse of marijuana, particularly among young people. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, 6,342 people were arrested by police and Narcotics Control Department officials nationwide for possession or smuggling of marijuana last year. The figure is the second highest ever, following the record-high reached two years ago. Of them, 4,600 people were in their 20s or teens or younger, accounting for over 70 percent of the total, an increase of 4.4 times over the 1,049 recorded in 2015. This indicates a notable trend, particularly among young people. There have also been a number of cases of marijuana being bought and sold on social media, often under such euphemisms such as 'vegetables.' Feeling increasingly concerned about the situation, the Narcotics Control Department is strengthening border control measures. Since 2020, smuggling prevention divisions have been established in the Narcotics Control Departments of Tokyo, Osaka and other cities. When illegal drug smuggling is discovered at airports or ports, the departments work with police and customs to investigate smuggling groups. In the Tochigi case, a smuggling prevention division joined the investigation, working in cooperation with the Japan Coast Guard and customs. High price Harumi Seto, former director of the Narcotics Control Division of the Kanto-Shinetsu Regional Health and Welfare Bureau, points out that smugglers are taking advantage of the high price marijuana can fetch in Japan compared to overseas. Regarding the recent smuggling case, Seto said, 'One ton of marijuana is the equivalent of 2 million doses. With demand for marijuana in Japan and the price being more than five times higher than overseas, the perpetrators probably thought they could sell it at a high price.' Regarding the spread of marijuana use in Japan, he said, 'It's possible to purchase it using social media or highly confidential communication apps, and, conversely, we live in an age where anyone can become a 'drug dealer' as if it were a part-time job. While there is a lack of awareness of the dangers of marijuana, it is becoming established as a primary drug among some young people.' He went on to point out, 'In addition to marijuana being smuggled from overseas, there have been a number of cases of domestically grown marijuana being sold illegally. To prevent abuse, Japan's investigative agencies need to work together to proactively crack down on smuggling and cultivation.'
Tokyo Reported
10-08-2025
- Tokyo Reported
Erotic dancer suspected of attempting to smuggle ketamine and MDMA
OKINAWA (TR) – Authorities here have arrested an erotic dancer for attempting to smuggle the synthetic drugs MDMA and ketamine from Thailand, reports Fuji News Network (Aug. 5). On July 18, 28-year-old Karen Kimijima, allegedly attempted to smuggle a total of 0.35 grams of MDMA and ketamine upon arrival at Naha Airport from Thailand via Hong Kong. According to officials, the contraband was concealed inside unspecified solid substances placed in the pocket of shorts found in her suitcase. Police have not revealed whether Kimijima, who lives in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, has admitted to violating the Narcotics Control Act, citing it as a hindrance to the investigation. On August 5, the Okinawa Regional Customs Office filed criminal charges against Kimijima with the Naha District Public Prosecutors Office. In addition to work as an erotic dancer, Kimijima is a rapper, performing under the name Queen B. On July 24, 2020, Kimijima released her debut EP 'Can't handle it.' Prior to her arrest, Kimijima had planned to participate in an event in Okinawa.
Tokyo Reported
12-07-2025
- Tokyo Reported
Vietnamese national accused of smuggling Ketamine
KANAGAWA (TR) – Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested a male Vietnamese technical intern trainee for smuggling the drug ketamine for the purpose of sale last year, reports TV Asahi (July 12). Truong Vuyet Hung, 28, is suspected of smuggling approximately 2.1 kilograms of ketamine, worth 42 million yen, for the purpose of selling it by hiding it in a cardboard box that was sent by mail from Slovakia last December. According to police, the ketamine was in bags wrapped in silver paper concealed inside the cardboard box, which contained toys and sweets. The ketamine was in bags wrapped in silver paper concealed inside a cardboard box containing toys and sweets (X) Police did not reveal whether Truong admits to violating the Narcotics Control Act. Two other men have already been arrested in the case. It is believed that Truong gave them instructions over the phone. Police believe Truong and his accomplices have smuggled a total of approximately 100 million yen worth of ketamine. Police are investigating whether a criminal syndicate is behind the smuggling.
