Kuala Lumpur, Dec. 2 (Jiji Press)–Malaysian customs authorities have charged three Japanese men on suspicion of attempting to smuggle large quantities of marijuana into the Southeast Asian nation in violation of the country’s law for cracking down on dangerous drugs. Charged on Monday were Wataru Matsuki, 42, Ryota Yuasa, 32, and an individual aged 19. Matsuki is from the western Japan prefecture of Hiroshima and the other two from Osaka Prefecture, also western Japan, according to the authorities. The three men were detained Nov. 18, upon arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport from Bangkok, as they were found to carry a total of 43.4 kilograms of marijuana. According to the charges, each of them allegedly attempted to smuggle some 14 kg of marijuana into Malaysia. A lawyer for the accused said the three argue that they were shocked by the discovery of illegal drugs from the baggage they transported on behalf of others. They plan to deny the charges. The authorities initially announced that a total of 12 kg of cocaine had been found from the three men’s suitcases during customs checks at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. An investigation later found that the substances were marijuana weighing about 43.4 kg and worth about 160 million yen. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
3 Japanese Charged in Malaysia for Alleged Marijuana Smuggling
Related Posts
2 Chinese Ships Sail in Japanese Waters off Senkakus
Naha, Okinawa Pref., Dec. 2 (Jiji Press)–Two Chinese coast guard ships entered Japanese territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, southernmost Japan, on Tuesday. As the Haijing vessels attempted to approach a Japanese fishing boat, a Japan Coast Guard patrol
New Flu Variant Subclade K Spreading in Japan
Tokyo, Dec. 2 (Jiji Press)–A new flu virus variant called subclade K is spreading in Japan, a survey by the Japan Institute for Health Security has found. The government-linked organization believes that the spread of the variant may be one of the
