Latest news with #SendaiAirport
Tokyo Reported
a day ago
- Tokyo Reported
Malaysian man, fiancée accused of smuggling meth in baby wipes at Sendai Airport
Malaysian man, fiancée accused of smuggling meth in baby wipes at Sendai Airport MIYAGI (TR) – Authorities here have arrested two Malaysian nationals who entered the country through Sendai Airport over the alleged smuggling of nearly 10 kilograms of methamphetamine, reports NHK (June 12). On May 13, a 52-year-old male businessman and his fiancée, 46, allegedly smuggled 9.2 kilograms of kakuseizai (methamphetamine) into Japan from Malaysia by soaking the illegal drugs in 25 packets of wet baby wipes. The wipes soaked in kakuseizai, which were placed into backpacks and suitcases brought aboard an airplane, have a street value was about 530 million yen, authorities said. Police did not reveal whether the pair admit to violating the Stimulants Control Act. They were indicted on June 4. Eight days later, they were accused of violating the Customs Act regarding attempted smuggling. The two entered the country by arriving at Sendai Airport from Malaysia via Taiwan. This is the first time that a stimulant drug smuggling operation has been detected at Sendai Airport. The amount is the history of in Miyagi Prefecture. When customs officials found the wipes in their luggage, one of the defendants said, 'They are used for Muslim prayers.' After becoming suspicious, officials discovered the drugs with the aid of a detector. Police plan to continue their investigation, including whether crime was carried out for profit.
Tokyo Reported
a day ago
- Tokyo Reported
Malaysian man, fiancé accused of smuggling meth in baby wipes at Sendai Airport
MIYAGI (TR) – Authorities here have arrested two Malaysian nationals who entered the country through Sendai Airport over the alleged smuggling of nearly 10 kilograms of methamphetamine, reports NHK (June 12). On May 13, a 52-year-old male businessman and his fiancé, 46, allegedly smuggled 9.2 kilograms of kakuseizai (methamphetamine) into Japan from Malaysia by soaking the illegal drugs in 25 packets of wet baby wipes. The wipes soaked in kakuseizai, which were placed into backpacks and suitcases brought aboard an airplane, have a street value was about 530 million yen, authorities said. Police did not reveal whether the pair admit to violating the Stimulants Control Act. They were indicted on June 4. Eight days later, they were accused of violating the Customs Act regarding attempted smuggling. Malaysian man, fiancé accused of smuggling meth in baby wipes at Sendai Airport (X) The two entered the country by arriving at Sendai Airport from Malaysia via Taiwan. This is the first time that a stimulant drug smuggling operation has been detected at Sendai Airport. The amount is the history of in Miyagi Prefecture. When customs officials found the wipes in their luggage, one of the defendants said, 'They are used for Muslim prayers.' After becoming suspicious, officials discovered the drugs with the aid of a detector. Police plan to continue their investigation, including whether crime was carried out for profit.
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
2 Malaysians Arrested for Allegedly Smuggling Stimulants Soaked in Wet Wipes; ¥530 Million Worth of Drugs Seized
The Yomiuri Shimbun Stimulants smuggled using wet tissues are seen at Sendai Airport Branch Customs. SENDAI — Two Malaysian nationals have been arrested on suspicion of attempting to smuggle stimulants into Japan by soaking them in wet tissues, Miyagi prefectural police said on Thursday. The two suspects, aged 52 and 46, are believed to have imported stimulants soaked in wet tissues onto an airplane from Malaysia on May 13, according to the police and other sources. They hid a total of 25 packs of wet tissues in their backpacks and such, one of which contained about 366 grams of stimulants (worth ¥21 million). The total amount they tried to smuggle is estimated to be about 9.2 kilograms (worth ¥530 million). The two arrived at Sendai Airport from Malaysia via Taiwan and the customs branch found the stimulants on them. Following a complaint from customs, the prefectural police arrested the two on May 15.
Asahi Shimbun
08-05-2025
- Asahi Shimbun
Suspect accused of trafficking teenager to scam ring in Myanmar
Tomu Fujinuma, second from left, is escorted by police officers on May 7 at Sendai Airport. (Kei Teshirogi) Miyagi prefectural police arrested a suspected recruiter-trafficker for an international scam operation in Myanmar on May 7 over the disappearance of a 17-year-old high school student from the prefecture. According to police, Tomu Fujinuma, 29, met the teenager at an airport in Thailand on Jan. 10 and lured him to Myanmar, where he was forced to work at an international scam center. The teenager was initially contacted through an online game by Fujinuma or an associate who promised easy money for simple tasks in Thailand, police said. Police have not disclosed whether the suspect has admitted to or denied the allegations. Investigators believe the high school student was trapped at the crime hub in Myanmar near the Thailand border, where he was forced to make fraudulent calls to victims in Japan. He was rescued by Thai authorities in mid-January and returned to Japan. This is the first arrest made by Japanese authorities of a suspected recruiter connected to Myanmar-based international scam operations. Fujinuma was initially apprehended by Thai authorities in February when he tried to enter the country from Myanmar. After being deported to Japan, he was arrested by Osaka police in March on suspicion of unlawful confinement in a separate case that occurred last year. He was indicted in April. OVER 7,000 'RESCUED' Reports surfaced in January that thousands of people from Asia and other regions were being held hostage in the Myanmar area bordering Thailand, where international crime syndicates operate scam centers. In the months following those reports, an ethnic minority militia in Myanmar that controls the border area reportedly intervened and 'rescued' more than 7,000 foreign workers. The militia held onto the workers while they awaited relocation to Thailand. To date, 10 Japanese nationals have been detained or taken into protective custody by Thai authorities before being repatriated. They include five individuals arrested in Japan for their suspected involvement in scams and other criminal activities. Fujinuma's arrest, along with the rescue of the 17-year-old student, highlights the success of the growing collaboration between Thai and Japanese authorities. Earlier crackdowns on international scam operations in countries such as the Philippines and Cambodia have led to the repatriation of several Japanese suspects and victims. (This article was written by Kei Teshirogi and Shimpachi Yoshida, a senior staff writer.)
