Six men arrested for smuggling stimulants

Okinawa Police and Okinawa Customs Office have arrested six men including Taiwanese nationals on suspicion of violating the Japanese stimulant control law.

The men are suspected of importing illegal stimulants into Okinawa on a cruise ship. Investigators seized more than 10 kg of the drugs from the men with an estimated street value of more than ¥700 million.

According to investigators, three of the men had come to Okinawa on a cruise ship last December when they were arrested after customs inspectors discovered the stimulants in their possession. Further investigation revealed that other three men belonging to the same group had arrived at Okinawa earlier. The first three men left Okinawa for Japan after the latter three were arrested. However, police found their whereabouts outside of the prefecture and all were arrested.

Authorities investigating the case suspect that am organized drug smuggling ring is behind the men, and are continuing their investigation in order to discover the manufacturer of the drugs and people who were intended to receive them. According to investigators, it is possible that the same group had brought stimulants into Okinawa earlier that have not been seized and were exported to mainland Japan.