British Man Cleared Of Drug Smuggling

[Mulboyne]

[Mulboyne]

There's no shortage of material for this kind of story:

Kyodo via Japan Today: Canadian indicted over smuggling 7 kg of drugs

A 28-year-old Canadian nursing school student arrested at Kansai Airport last month on suspicion of smuggling about 7 kilograms of chemical stimulants worth 420 million yen has been indicted, police and custom officials said Friday. The drug haul represents the largest amount ever brought to the airport by an individual, police said. Cindy Lawrence was indicted Thursday on suspicion of violating the Stimulant Drugs Control Law, and other charges. According to the police, Lawrence tried to enter Japan on April 10 with two suitcases in which the drugs were concealed beneath false bottoms, having flown to Kansai Airport from Calgary Airport in Canada. Investigators quoted her as saying she purchased the suitcases in Canada and did not know the drugs were concealed inside.

[Mulboyne]

Another acquittal story:

The Tokyo High Court has overturned a lower court ruling against a 31-year-old British woman, acquitting her of smuggling into Japan an illegal drug from Malaysia in 2008. The ruling, dated Dec. 9, is expected to stand as prosecutors are not planning to file an appeal, sources familiar with the matter said. The woman was arrested in November 2008 for allegedly bringing in around 1.4 kilograms of a stimulant drug hidden in her luggage at Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture east of Tokyo.

The focal point was whether the woman was aware that the drug was kept in the bottom of the suitcase that was given to her by an acquaintance. The woman has denied the allegation. The Chiba District Court rejected the woman's argument in a ruling given in February, which sentenced her to eight years in prison and to pay a 4 million yen fine. The high court ruled that "there is reasonable doubt she was aware of the stimulant drug," noting that the suitcase was given to her just before her departure and she could not confirm what was inside after she was told it was clothing.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

This is incredible...I'm sure all these people are being acquitted so they can go out onto the streets of Roppongi and sell spliffs to Japanese celebrities.

[Pearse]

Mulboyne, that was smart thinking wrapping that pot in your clothes.