Tokyo cops make 8th arrest in largest 'dangerous drugs' bust

Mar 13, 2018 | News On Japan

Mar 13, 2018 (tokyoreporter.com) - Police have made an eighth arrest in the bust of a large operation that trafficked so-called "dangerous drugs," reports Fuji News Network

On June 8, 2016, an anti-organized crime division of the police seized 185 kilograms of dangerous drugs, which provide users with hallucinatory effects similar to illegal narcotics, at a residence in Nerima Ward rented by 35-year-old Katsumi Yoneya.

Police estimated the contraband to have a street value of 3.6 billion yen. In January, police announced the arrest of six suspects, including Yoneya, for allegedly storing the drugs for the purpose of sale.

In the latest development, police on Saturday arrested Ushio Okiyama on the same charges. He is believed to be the ringleader of the operation. "I only possessed [the drugs] to dump them," the suspect was quoted by police in denying the allegations, according to TBS News (Mar. 10).

In February, the Kanto Narcotics Control Department made the seventh arrest, apprehending Junichi Kanda, 38, who is believed to have sold drugs in the operation, during a raid in which an unspecified amount of contraband was seized.

Kanda peddled dangerous drugs and elements of narcotic drugs on the site Aroma Market. Since September of last year, his business has accumulated 35 million yen in sales.

In 2014, Japan banned the possession and use of dangerous drugs. The seizure in Nerima is the largest on record, police said.

Takaichi Gets 5 Hours Sleep for 'First Time in a While'

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has drawn criticism over a social media post describing five hours of sleep as a rare luxury, as the extended Diet session prepares to begin Upper House debate on a controversial bill to establish secondary capitals outside Tokyo.

Japan Introduces Stricter Penalties for Drunk Driving

Japan began applying a new numerical alcohol threshold for dangerous driving offenses on July 21, introducing a clearer standard for cases involving impaired driving that could lead to fatal accidents.

Mount Fuji Filmed From a Helicopter

Breathtaking 4K footage filmed from a helicopter offers a sweeping aerial view of Mount Fuji and its majestic surrounding landscape.

Japan Scrambles for Oil

A covert network of shuttle tankers is carrying crude through the increasingly dangerous Strait of Hormuz as renewed fighting between the United States and Iran disrupts shipping and raises concerns over how Japan will secure the oil it needs.

Russia Calls Japan-Ukraine Drone Cooperation a Clear Hostile Act

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko has criticized moves by Japanese and Ukrainian companies to cooperate on drone technology, warning that such ties would be regarded by Moscow as a "clear hostile act."

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Policeman Refuses Breath Test After Crashing Into Utility Pole

A 27-year-old police officer arrested after crashing into a utility pole in Hiroshima was found to have been driving under the influence, with a blood test detecting nearly three times the legal alcohol limit.

Police Fire Warning Shot at Knife-Wielding Woman

A police officer fired a warning shot into the air after a 42-year-old woman approached officers while pointing a kitchen knife at them on a street in Eniwa, Hokkaido, on July 17.

Armed Driver Crashes Car Into Convenience Store

A 45-year-old man was arrested early July 20 after allegedly crashing a passenger car into a convenience store in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and walking around the parking lot carrying a kitchen knife and a golf club.

Drunk Driver Rams Roaring Motorcycle

A 42-year-old man was arrested after allegedly driving under the influence and intentionally ramming a motorcycle in Togitsu, Nagasaki Prefecture, leaving its rider seriously injured.

Giant Tug-of-War Rope Snaps, Injuring Over a Dozen

More than a dozen people were injured after a massive rope suddenly snapped during a tug-of-war at a festival in Kitami, Hokkaido, sending participants falling backward onto an asphalt road.

Housing Complex With 70% Foreigners Introduces Fine System

A public housing complex in Aichi Prefecture where about 70% of households are occupied by foreign residents is showing signs of improvement after introducing multilingual communication, foreign-led neighborhood activities and a 3,000-yen fine for residents who skip community cleaning duties.

Old Sake Brewery Goes Up In Smoke

A fire that broke out at the long-established Echigo Tsurukame sake brewery in a densely populated residential district of Niigata City on July 19 destroyed the brewery and spread to at least six nearby homes, with firefighters still unable to declare the blaze fully extinguished by noon on July 20.

Husband and Wife Killed in Ashikaga Landslide

Two people found dead in a collapsed home following a landslide in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, have been identified as a married couple in their 60s who lived at the property, city officials said.

< 2 3 4 5 >