KYODO NEWS - Nov 18, 2019 - 19:30 | All, Japan

Japanese actress Erika Sawajiri, who was arrested late last week for allegedly possessing the synthetic drug MDMA, has admitted to using illegal drugs for more than 10 years, police sources said Monday.

Sawajiri, 33, told investigators that she got the MDMA at a nightclub event a few weeks ago, and that she had previously used marijuana, LSD and cocaine, as well as MDMA, the sources said.

"I first used illegal drugs more than 10 years ago," one of the sources quoted her as telling police. "Every time a famous person was arrested over drugs, I told myself to be careful because I might be in danger too."

The police raided her home in Tokyo on Saturday morning when she returned after a night out at a club in the Shibuya district, and found 0.09 gram of powder containing the MDMA.

The police are analyzing her cellphone to determine how she got the drug and trace its route. They are also analyzing a urine sample to decide on whether she used the drug, the sources said.

On Sunday, Sawajiri was turned over to prosecutors while the Tokyo District Court allowed her to be detained until Nov. 26.

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