5 arrested for smuggling stimulants worth ¥3.5 billion into Tokyo port

TOKYO (TR) – Japanese law enforcement announced on Friday additional charges against four suspects for the smuggling of stimulant drugs through Tokyo inside machinery in October, reports news wire Jiji Press (Dec. 7).

Officers from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Fukushima prefectural police, and Tokyo Customs re-arrested Yukio Fujishima, 62, his 65-year-old brother, 31-year-old American Adrian Rincon, and Oscar Lopez Franco, a 43-year-old from Mexico, for allegedly smuggling 44 kilograms of stimulant drugs hidden inside a 1.5-meter-long winch that arrived by ship from Hong Kong — a violation of the Narcotics Control Law regarding importation for money-making purposes.

The drugs concealed in the winch, offloaded at a wharf in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward on October 15, were contained inside seven plastic bags. The estimated street value of the contraband is 3.5 billion yen.

The winch was subsequently shipped to a residence of Fujishima, which is located in Fukushima City. The suspect, who Fuji News Network (Dec. 7) reports as being the president of a local construction company, allegedly began dismantling the equipment on November 1.

The suspects were originally arrested on November 21 under the Narcotics Special Exemption Law regarding possession.

Investigators also announced the arrest of one additional suspect, 56-year-old Masanobu Kishimoto, on charges of importation of narcotics for money-making purposes.

Four of the suspects, including Fujishima, have denied the allegations, while one suspect has admitted to participating.