News On Japan

English teacher arrested in Japan for smuggling cannabis oil inside hair treatment bottles

Jun 06, 2021 (soranews24.com) - Despite cannabis becoming more widely accepted in many countries around the world, in Japan it’s still considered a major crime to have or use any amount.

It wasn’t until just last month that laws concerning medicinal marijuana were even considered to be relaxed.

Which is why it’s of the utmost importance to stay far away from the substance while in Japan… and especially not be a part of mailing it around the country.

Unfortunately that’s exactly what one American English teacher from Tsukuba City in Ibaraki Prefecture did, helping to smuggle cannabis oil inside hair treatment bottles.

The 43-year-old English conversation school (eikaiwa) teacher, Richard Thomas Gonzalez Melgarejo, was arrested in April at a hotel in Ibaraki Prefecture. He was found with about two kilograms of cannabis oil hidden inside hair treatment bottles.

He was suspected of receiving the parcel of smuggled goods at the hotel, and of planning to ship it out. A search of his home found five more kilograms of cannabis oil, which resulted in him being further charged of possession with intent to sell.

The value of the seven total kilograms of cannabis oil comes to about 280 million yen (US$2,556,960), and is suspected of being a part of a larger organization.

Source: TBS NEWS

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Typhoon No. 30 is located as of 7:00 a.m. on October 16 over ocean waters far south of the Japanese archipelago and is expected to gain strength as it moves westward, potentially impacting Japan starting late next week.

Burger King Japan has announced that approximately 11.18 million records containing personal information of its official app members were leaked following unauthorized access to its systems between October 2 and October 7.

Japan's first Disney cruise ship will be named "Disney Imagination," with Oriental Land and its partners planning to launch the service in spring 2029, offering a new Disney-themed travel experience departing from Tokyo.

Tokyo's 23 wards have decided to establish a new small-scale public crematorium to address rising fees at privately operated facilities and growing concerns that cremation capacity could become insufficient around 2040 as the city's aging population drives up the number of deaths.

Japan is facing a growing wave of cyberattacks as advances in artificial intelligence remove the language barrier that once made Japanese companies difficult targets for overseas hackers, with more than 68 million personal records potentially exposed in a series of security incidents over the past two weeks.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

Three people, including a former chief priest, have been arrested over the alleged takeover of a historic Buddhist temple in central Kyoto, with investigators suspecting they sold temple-owned land and buildings without authorization for approximately 226 million yen, leaving the 300-year-old institution with almost none of its property beyond its main hall and grounds.

Police investigating the deaths of seven dogs and cats at a pet shop have discovered that the business allegedly obtained powerful prescription drugs illegally from a veterinarian for several years, allowing unlicensed staff to administer the medicines in an apparent effort to reduce operating costs.

A 41-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of selling sleeping pills not approved for use in Japan to girls who frequent the "Toyoko" area of Tokyo's Kabukicho entertainment district, allegedly promoting the drugs on social media as a way to experience an intense high through excessive consumption.

More than 1,000 chickens escaped from a truck onto a busy national highway in Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, on October 15 after the vehicle's load shifted, prompting traffic restrictions that lasted approximately four hours.

Tokyo's 23 wards have decided to establish a new small-scale public crematorium to address rising fees at privately operated facilities and growing concerns that cremation capacity could become insufficient around 2040 as the city's aging population drives up the number of deaths.

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako drew attention during their September 19-20 visit to Aichi Prefecture for the opening ceremony of the 20th Asian Games, when the couple posed beside the popular character No-Face at Ghibli Park and used the Emperor's own smartphone to capture the moment, offering a rare glimpse of the Imperial Family's increasingly approachable public image.

A fire broke out at a factory handling waste plastic in Nara City on October 13, sending thick black smoke into the air and prompting the dispatch of 12 fire engines after firefighters received an emergency call shortly before 3:30 p.m. from a factory representative reporting smoke rising from inside the building, with all workers safely evacuated and no injuries reported.

Four people, including a 13-year-old junior high school girl, were injured when a large festival float collided with a roadside tree during an autumn festival in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, on October 12th.