Japanese authorities discovered and seized approximately one ton of cannabis shipped from Vietnam to the port of Tokyo on 13/8, NHK reported. This is the largest drug seizure in Japan to date.
The Japan Customs Narcotics Control Department announced the arrest of three Vietnamese citizens, including a 51-year-old man residing in Ibaraki prefecture, on charges of possession and intent to distribute cannabis for profit. Authorities are also investigating the possibility of a connection to an international drug trafficking operation.
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The confiscated cannabis in Tokyo, Japan, on 13/8. Photo: Yomiuri Shimbun |
The confiscated cannabis in Tokyo, Japan, on 13/8. Photo: Yomiuri Shimbun
Tokyo customs officials discovered the cannabis in 200 cardboard boxes shipped to the port of Tokyo in June, according to investigators. Narcotics Control Department agents tracked the cannabis after it left the port and seized it in the Kanto region. Investigators added that the final destination of the cannabis was a company in Osaka, western Japan.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang stated in a press conference on 14/8 that after receiving the information, Vietnamese representatives in Japan contacted local authorities to investigate and verify the information, and to implement necessary citizen protection measures in accordance with Vietnamese and Japanese laws.
"Vietnam resolutely handles all acts of producing, trading, possessing, and transporting narcotics, and is ready for bilateral and multilateral cooperation in crime prevention in general and drug prevention in particular," the spokesperson affirmed.
Ngoc Anh
