Shimane ALT Busted!

[james]

From NihonKai TV (Japanese)

Q&D translation:

(Shimane) Assistant Language Teacher suspected of smuggling marijuana

On November 28th, the Matsue area Prosecutor's Office will indict a 36 year old foreign national who worked as an assistant language teacher at a public high school in Shimane. The ALT, whose package was seized by the Kobe Customs and Border Tax Agency, stands accused of attempting to smuggle marijuana. According to the Customs and Border Tax Agency, the man attempted to smuggle 6.91 grams of marijuana through EMS express shipping but the package was intercepted at Kansai International Airport when it was discovered by an inspection officer of the Osaka Customs Agency. While the man admits to the attempted smuggling, he did not indicate for what purpose he was attempting to smuggle it. The marijuana has a street value of 41,000 yen. Kunihiko Kobayashi, the head of Shimane's High School PTA announced, "If this is true, it is truly regretful and must be dealt with strictly."

[kagemusha]

the man attempted to smuggle 6.91 grams of marijuana ... The marijuana has a street value of 41,000 yen. "

41,000? must be a mistake.

[Coligny]

7g of mj !? that's what ? 2/3rd of a splif ?

nice to see that cops mathematics are universally incomprehensible...

pretty sure they meant 410 000 yens...

[FG Lurker]

I know sweet fuck all about MJ prices but apparently in 2005 it was about $60 per gram. Considering the difference in exchange rates between 2005 and now 41,000yen for 7g doesn't seem too far off. (Assuming of course that $60/gram in 2005 was anywhere near reality.)

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

7g of mj !? that's what ? 2/3rd of a splif ?

I want you to roll my spliffs....

[Coligny]

That soundz gay...

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

That soundz gay...

Trust a Frenchie to think like that....

....No, I was into the idea of a 10 1/2 gram spliff....I reckon I could probably catch up to the Voyager craft if I could smoke my way through one of those in a single sitting...

[gaijinpunch]

I always wondered what would happen if some random asshole mailed you (or some random gaijin... or even nihonjin) weed... either as a joke, or with malicious intent. Guess you'd have 23 days to make your case, and .03% chance of not being convicted. On the bright side, if you won your case, you'd have an after school special in the bag.

[IparryU]

Well... whoever is rolling a 10.5g spliff or even a 6g spliff... i got 5 on it!

[Level3]

That little thing has always worried me. Though, the stories often seem to be a stupid friend with no concept of the laws of Japan trying to mail a surprise mixed in with some gifts.

But a reminder to any assholes who want to try to land their enemies in jail using this technique. It's a 2-way street. We can just as easily mail a box of Japan's most infamous contraband item to you as payback. And I think the punishment for having such things is a bit more.... life-destroying.

[Samurai_Jerk]

the stories often seem to be a stupid friend with no concept of the laws of Japan trying to mail a surprise mixed in with some gifts.

The laws of Japan? Wouldn't that be the laws of pretty much everywhere?

[kagemusha]

I know sweet fuck all about MJ prices but apparently in 2005 it was about $60 per gram. Considering the difference in exchange rates between 2005 and now 41,000yen for 7g doesn't seem too far off. (Assuming of course that $60/gram in 2005 was anywhere near reality.)

If so this is tens times more than any other country I know. Can anyone who actually knows the market price (or has a gaijin friend down in Roppongi) tell me if this is an accepted price here in Japan? With those rates I'm definitely in the wrong business...

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

I always wondered what would happen if some random asshole mailed you (or some random gaijin... or even nihonjin) weed... either as a joke, or with malicious intent. Guess you'd have 23 days to make your case, and .03% chance of not being convicted. On the bright side, if you won your case, you'd have an after school special in the bag.

I'm not sure, but a good defense would be "deny, deny, deny" (as it is in just about any case short of those in which the prosecution possesses indisputable material evidence and witnesses).

The onus of proof is on the prosecution. Where they would probably get you is not so much in the sending process, but your actions after receiving. If they noticed drugs in mail, which they may well do considering it's supposed to be screened, they may allow it to go through to the recipient then allow for a certain amount of time to pass on the assumption it will be opened, and can be reported to authorities when found to contain contraband. If the report is not forthcoming, said authorities could swoop and make an arrest, theoretically, for possession (23 days max. confinement without charge) and maybe even trafficking (another <separate, not concurrent> 23 days max. confinement without charge), in addition to numerous drug/narcotic/stimulant-related laws or prefectural-local government/ordinances, each alleged offense of which allows police to hold the suspect for a maximum of 23 days before sending them to the prosecutors to be indicted. Mind you, courts need to have a good reason to extend the detention period twice to make up those 23 days (once after 3 days and again following a further 10 days).

Assuming a defendant is handed over to the prosecutors, there is no set limit in which the alleged offender can be held without bail (or "temporary release," as it's called in Japanese), only an obligation to provide a "speedy trial." The first hearing could be months away. A gaijin, even a permanent resident or special permanent resident (i.e., born-and-bred in Japan foreigner) is almost invariably regarded as a flight risk and bail is not as simple to obtain as it is for those with pure Yamato coursing through their veins (provided it hasn't been diluted somewhat by long-term exposure in some South American cuntry). Trial hearings are not held concurrently as they are in common law cuntries, which is why you commonly see criminal cases extending well past a decade or more before a ruling is handed down, and into the decades before that ruling is finalized after all avenues of appeal have been exhausted.

But, after all that, I reckon they'd be fairly lenient on someone without a criminal record, who looks respectable, works for a decent company, at least appears to be innocent and feigns being totally so, as well as protests sincerely and politely to their innocence. If such a package arrived in the post, I would be off to the local koban lickety split, though. (Unless someone wants to see me one, in which case please feel free to PM...)

[gaijinpunch]

I heard through the grapevine something like the above happened... but it was different stuff, different quantity, and for different purposes. A roommate almost got mixed up in the mess. Apparently everyone took a drug test... if you failed, you were guilty of a rather large possession charge. Whoops!

What is contraband in the west but not here? I can only think of racy manga w/ kiddie-looking semi-adults.

[matsuki]

But a reminder to any assholes who want to try to land their enemies in jail using this technique. It's a 2-way street. We can just as easily mail a box of Japan's most infamous contraband item to you as payback. And I think the punishment for having such things is a bit more.... life-destroying.

Would imagine pleading innocence and a drug test would clear most people....but would still fuck up one's life for awhile.

[yanpa]

I'd just claim Narita Customs must have left it there after a sniffer dog training exercise.

[Mock Cockpit]

A quarter of an ounce? Might as well get hung for a sheep than a lamb.

[Samurai_Jerk]

A quarter of an ounce? Might as well get hung for a sheep than a lamb.

I'd love to be hung. Hanged? Not so much.

[matsuki]

Not to mention this guy is in Shimane...many would need to have some artificial stimulation to live/work there.

[Mike Oxlong]

Not to mention this guy is in Shimane...many would need to have some artificial stimulation to live/work there.

That's still no excuse to have kiddie pr0n on one's PC...as is the wont of some school principals and assorted teachers here.

[matsuki]

Not to mention this guy is in Shimane...many would need to have some artificial stimulation to live/work there.

That's still no excuse to have kiddie pr0n on one's PC...as is the wont of some school principals and assorted teachers here.

LOL, where did kiddie pr0n com into the picture? Sadly, there's no doubt you're right though... TIJ, whereas most countries would black list you for the crap they get away here, in Japan when you cater to pedophiles, you find success.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Not to mention this guy is in Shimane...many would need to have some artificial stimulation to live/work there.

That's still no excuse to have kiddie pr0n on one's PC...as is the wont of some school principals and assorted teachers here.

LOL, where did kiddie pr0n com into the picture? Sadly, there's no doubt you're right though... TIJ, whereas most countries would black list you for the crap they get away here, in Japan when you cater to pedophiles, you find success.

You just reminded me of a incident that took place at the high school I was an ALT at on JET. One of the male teachers kept a girl after class for talking during his lesson and spent the next 30 minutes berating her and slapping her all over her body including her tits and ass. She reported it and he admitted to it and his "punishment" was to be force to take a one-month vacation while they decided what to do. He ended up being transferred to a cushy job at the board of education so he wouldn't be in direct contact with students anymore. The really crazy thing is this wasn't a case of them sweeping things under the rug before the world found out because it was reported in all the major Japanese newspapers. There was even a news crew in front of the school one day. I remember one English teacher asked me what would happen if this had taken place in America. I told him that he would have definitely been fired and would mostly likely face criminal charges. His reply was, "Yes, that is a normal system."

[Mike Oxlong]

Not to mention this guy is in Shimane...many would need to have some artificial stimulation to live/work there.

That's still no excuse to have kiddie pr0n on one's PC...as is the wont of some school principals and assorted teachers here.

LOL, where did kiddie pr0n com into the picture? Sadly, there's no doubt you're right though... TIJ, whereas most countries would black list you for the crap they get away here, in Japan when you cater to pedophiles, you find success.

I think someone suggested sending some Japan contraband in retaliation for receiving some American contraband...any asshat that sent weed to someone in Japan to fuck with them would surely be fucked in turn by the receipt of some pedo-bear material in their inbox.

[james]

Not to mention this guy is in Shimane...many would need to have some artificial stimulation to live/work there.

hey! i resemble that remark!

[matsuki]

Not to mention this guy is in Shimane...many would need to have some artificial stimulation to live/work there.

That's still no excuse to have kiddie pr0n on one's PC...as is the wont of some school principals and assorted teachers here.

LOL, where did kiddie pr0n com into the picture? Sadly, there's no doubt you're right though... TIJ, whereas most countries would black list you for the crap they get away here, in Japan when you cater to pedophiles, you find success.

You just reminded me of a incident that took place at the high school I was an ALT at on JET. One of the male teachers kept a girl after class for talking during his lesson and spent the next 30 minutes berating her and slapping her all over her body including her tits and ass. She reported it and he admitted to it and his "punishment" was to be force to take a one-month vacation while they decided what to do. He ended up being transferred to a cushy job at the board of education so he wouldn't be in direct contact with students anymore. The really crazy thing is this wasn't a case of them sweeping things under the rug before the world found out because it was reported in all the major Japanese newspapers. There was even a news crew in front of the school one day. I remember one English teacher asked me what would happen if this had taken place in America. I told him that he would have definitely been fired and would mostly likely face criminal charges. His reply was, "Yes, that is a normal system."

Japan has more in common with the catholic regime than they let on...though even with such a shitty system, what if that had happened to your son or daughter?

In the U.S., would take my chances with law enforcement/legal system's handling of it....not perfect but would probably be satisfied with ruining the guy's life, some $$, and knowing the fuck would have to register as a sex offender. (and if when he pulled some shit again, the next kid's fatehr might murder him)

In Japan, I'd probably become the posterboy in Japan for why you don't fuck with FG's children.

Not to mention this guy is in Shimane...many would need to have some artificial stimulation to live/work there.

hey! i resemble that remark!

Then you know exactly what I'm talking about