Canadian, Chinese nationals accused of smuggling 300 kg of stimulant drugs

Jul 10, 2021 | News On Japan

Jul 10, 2021 (tokyoreporter.com) - KANAGAWA (TR) – Two foreigners have been accused of smuggling nearly 300 kilograms of stimulant drugs aboard a ship from Hong Kong, reports NHK.

According to police and customs officials, the suspects are Chen Yun, a 50-year-old Canadian man living in Kita Ward, Tokyo, and a male Chinese national residing in Shizuoka Prefecture.

On April 30, customs officials discovered 297 kilograms of kakuseizai, or stimulant drugs, hidden inside laser equipment used for metal processing aboard the vessel.

Both suspects deny the allegations. “I know about the machinery, but I didn’t import stimulant drugs,” the Chinese national, 34, was quoted.

Customs officials seized 297 kilograms of stimulant drugs concealed aboard a cargo ship in April (NHK)

The amount is the largest seized by customs officials this year. The contraband has a street value of around 17.82 billion yen, police said.

The ship arrived at the Port of Yokohama on February 16. The cargo was then unloaded.

After the discovery, the drugs were replaced with other materials. The laser equipment was then sent onward to its intended address, a rented warehouse in Saitama Prefecture that Chen frequented.

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