U.S. women arrested for allegedly smuggling $1 million worth of drugs to Japan, one claims she was motivated by free trip

Police officers investigate a taped-off building beside a patrol car in rainy neon-lit Tokyo

Tokyo police arrested two American women for allegedly smuggling $1 million worth of cannabis into the country, with one suspect claiming she was motivated by a free trip to Japan, an official and media reports said Friday. The pair, both 25, arrived at Tokyo’s Haneda airport from New York last Saturday with two suitcases in which “cannabis-like dried plants were secretly stored,” a police spokesman told AFP. Nippon TV aired images of the drug seizure, showing more than a dozen packages containing the alleged cannabis.

Japan has some of the world’s strictest drug laws and smuggling or possession of illegal narcotics can result in a lengthy jail term. The dried cannabis weighed around 30 kilograms (66 pounds) and is valued at about 150 million yen ($970,000), media reported. One of the women told police she took the job for the money and because, “I was attracted by the fact I could go to Japan for free,” Nippon TV reported. The other suspect denies the allegation, telling police she “didn’t know that cannabis was inside” the suitcase, the Tokyo Shimbun reported, citing unnamed police sources.

The women “conspired with someone else whose name is unknown,” the police spokesman told AFP. They claimed they received instructions from a man they met on social media but never met in person, according to local media. The pair were arrested “on suspicion of violating the drugs and psychotropics control law, or, smuggling to gain profit,” the spokesman said. They also breached two other unnamed laws, he added. Smuggling cannabis for the purpose of making profit carries up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 3 million yen ($19,500).

Last December, prominent American playwright Jeremy O. Harris was arrested in Japan on suspicion of smuggling the psychedelic drug ecstasy. He was released three weeks later.

Source: U.S. women arrested for allegedly smuggling $1 million worth of drugs to Japan, one claims she was motivated by free trip – CBS News

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58

For God so Loved the World

“God loved you enough to send His Son, Jesus loved you enough to give His life, and through faith, you are offered a hope this world can never take…

Keep reading

2 Timothy 3:12 

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted Paul was reminding Timothy that following Christ does not guarantee an easy life. When we choose…

Keep reading

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Marijuana seizure: 1,800 pounds intercepted by Butts County sheriff

Nearly 900 pounds of marijuana headed to Orlando was intercepted in Georgia as part of a larger interstate shipment, according to the Butts County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Gary Long said authorities seized approximately 1,800 pounds of marijuana in Butts County on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

The shipment originated in Sacramento, California. Long said approximately half was destined for Atlanta, while the other half was headed to Orlando. The Sheriff’s Office released photos showing law enforcement officers standing behind a large pile of bags containing what authorities identified as marijuana. The agency’s statement did not identify anyone connected with the shipment, announce any arrests or charges or disclose its intended destination in Orlando.

Florida permits medical marijuana for qualified patients, but only state-licensed medical marijuana treatment centers are authorized to cultivate, process and dispense it, according to the Florida Department of Health’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use. Long used the seizure to make a broader argument about marijuana legalization and the continued existence of illegal sales. “The illegal marijuana trade does not stop at the state line,” Long said. The sheriff argued that criminal operations can undercut licensed marijuana businesses because they do not pay taxes, licensing fees or regulatory expenses.

Long also said Mexican drug-trafficking organizations and other criminal groups continue to move marijuana across state lines. However, the Sheriff’s Office did not connect this shipment to a particular cartel or criminal organization. The sheriff urged Georgia lawmakers to examine the experiences of states that have legalized recreational marijuana before expanding the state’s existing medical cannabis program. Georgia allows registered patients to possess certain medical cannabis products, but recreational marijuana remains illegal.

The Georgia Department of Public Health says the state’s medical program does not legalize the possession or sale of other forms of marijuana. “Georgia, let’s get it right the first time,” Long said.

Source: Marijuana seizure: 1,800 pounds intercepted by Butts County sheriff – WDBO

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Romans 13:8

John 15:18–20

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its…

Keep reading

Galatians 1:6-10

“When truth becomes negotiable, faith becomes vulnerable so know the Gospel, stand on God’s Word, and seek His approval above the world’s applause.” “I am astonished that…

Keep reading

Isaiah 45:2

“I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, This…

Keep reading

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Northern California man arrested after major drug bust on Nebraska freeway, officials say

bread on white plastic pack

Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) says troopers seized more than 500 pounds of suspected cocaine during a traffic stop on Interstate 80 Wednesday morning and arrested a Northern California man. The stop happened around 10:25 a.m. near Milford, Nebraska, at mile marker 382 on eastbound I-80. Troopers said a Nissan Rogue was pulled over after it was seen following a semi-truck too closely. During the stop, an NSP K9 alerted officers to the odor of a controlled substance coming from the vehicle, officials said.

A search of the SUV allegedly uncovered about 525 pounds of suspected cocaine along with 9.3 grams of suspected heroin. Booking photo of Gurarppan Gill Nebraska State Patrol The driver, identified as 23-year-old Gurarppan Gill of Yuba City, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver, NSP said. Gill was booked into the Seward County Jail in Nebraska.

Source: Northern California man arrested after major drug bust on Nebraska freeway, officials say – CBS Sacramento

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful.
Psalm 1:1

Proverbs 21:23

Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. This verse emphasizes that people who carefully watch what they say will protect themselves from serious trouble. “Guarding your…

Keep reading

Slow to Speak: The Secret to Wise Reactions

Talk less, listen more, because wisdom speaks after it understands, not before. If you want stronger relationships and real influence, master this: control your tongue, calm your anger, and lead with…

Keep reading

Psalm 5:8

Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me. In the verse David is praying in the morning while people who hate him…

Keep reading

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.