crime

Record Y7.2 bil cocaine haul washes ashore on Yokosuka beaches

40 Comments

About 7.2 billion yen worth of cocaine stuffed into backpacks has washed up on beaches at Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, in Japan's biggest-ever seizure, reports said Friday.

Two more bags were found Thursday after an elderly local resident discovered four drug-filled rucksacks, outfitted with a buoy and illuminated markers, earlier this week.

In all, there were 120 kilograms of plastic-wrapped blocks of cocaine inside the bags, which police suspect were lost by seafaring traffickers, the leading Yomiuri Shimbun and other media said.

A police spokesman declined to comment on the reports.

Japanese police seized just 6.6 kilograms of cocaine last year, down from 28.7 kilograms in 2011, according to the National Police Agency.

© (c) 2013 AFP

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40 Comments
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Headed for the US base?

Just kidding. 80 kg is quite a catch by the way.

2 ( +4 / -3 )

Heads are gonna roll !

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Well someones in trouble... The seas are so unpredictable, someones boss is going to be sad, well at least they now know where their cocaine is now

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Nice. Burn it and be done with it. Glad they found it before it could hit the streets.

5 ( +13 / -8 )

"…with authorities suspecting seafaring traffickers."

Gee, ya think?

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Every time I get my bags searched at customs (which is not often these days) I will cast my mind back to this story and ponder how drugs really enter Japan......

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Fell of the back of a C-130. :p

Glad that it was found before hitting the streets.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

some north korean heads will roll over this!

6 ( +6 / -0 )

I have heard story's of the trafficking that goes on with the US military at US Bases here from a Military Police officer and it would not surprise me if a US Naval vessel arrived at port recently. Perhaps the local police should question some of the crew.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Yokosuka has beaches?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

He could have been instantly wealthy......

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I hope some yaks wash ashore also.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Why always old people are lucky in finding stash of money and drugs? I've to wake up earlier in the future. Time to get lucky.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Tough times ahead for the dealers in Roppingi.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

So we know how the Yakuza get the drugs in now. What are the police doing about it?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Did a Certain Canadian Mayor lost his backpack? :P

15 ( +16 / -1 )

Friday nights just got more expensive for some.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

They've certainly changed their tactics from the days when drugs were imported inside the door panels of luxury automobiles.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Heisenberg....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Always a worry when you consider how easy it is for any small boat to approach shore. Not saying this is how it arrived there. I agree with the posters above who are glad it was found before it could be used.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

"Canadian Mayor lost his backpack"

Nah, wrong conservative politician. It was the Florida congressman who got nailed buying coke from undercover po-po.

He was thinking ahead. Indefinite leave of absence at a quiet temple in Japan, alternately meditating and medicating.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

They just found 2 more bags. Total = 120KG!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Perhaps the local police should question some of the crew.

@ StormR: I doubt the USN had anything to do with that amount of coke. Probably would have more to do with the North Koreans. Just recently there was a report of a ring from North Korea being busted for trying to distribute meth in the New York area, and they get a lot of cash from drug sales. Also, Japanese mobsters sell drug and sad to say, there is a drug problem in Japan. Remember the case of the woman caught in Indonesia trying to smuggle drugs?

Japan has a drug problem, just like any other nation in the world, and people here will do what it takes to get the product in. Hard to try to blame it on the foreign USN, since in most cases, the yaks don't even let us foreigners go into places like hostess bars, and other organizations along that nature that they own. What makes one think that they will do that type of business with foreign Navy guys.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Demand supply, guess the stimulant demand is getting higher in Japan

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Methamphetamine has always been the drug of choice in Japan. Societal factors. Usually comes in by sea, often uses buoys like this, and this incident is nowhere near the first of this kind, where the 'butsu' drags its moorings.

Hope this keeps the caostguard on their toes, those ships that are still here and not down south, ('nuff said).

1 ( +1 / -0 )

He could have been instantly wealthy......

Normal people would have no idea how to move along 80kg of coke. Especially in Japan.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

have they sniffed out the culprits yet?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Did I see a convoy of Hollywood actors, aging rockers and Yakuza making their way to Yokosuka?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I have certainly been witness to what drugs can do to a person's life as well as the lives of those around them who care. Drug problems and issues revolving around drug use often stem from stressors in our lives. It seems that many people use drugs as an escape from some problem or issue that they either don't want to deal with at all or are having trouble dealing with. This is not the way to solve the problem. There is a saying that you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. The same can be said for those who use drugs or are addicted to drugs. It is ultimately going to be up to them as to whether or not they recognize and accept the fact that they have a problem, that it is affecting their life as well as the lives of people who love and care about them and that if they don't resolve the problem soon, it could kill them. Unfortunately the reality is drugs are here to stay on this planet and it is so sad because many human live will be ruined by them unless the drug user cares enough or is coherent enough to care about his or her family and friends and how they feel, then this may be enough for them to admit themselves to a drug and alcohol rehab center.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Sounds Law Enforcement Agency is being careful on investigation, It is easy to quit investigation by blaming USN did or Yakuza did, etc but they have duty to investigate so that they can catch big narco business. No leaking of their investigation info yet either.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Burn it, do not let those promoting chaos to realize their goals.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Perhaps it's fake, and is just a promotion for a new local Thriller about someone finding a bag of "Coke" upon a beach and trying to "find a buyer" for it.... we'll see, I guess one way or another, it may stimulate a mind or two, and we'll see a local "Thriller' being shown on TV with that as it's theme.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

The people who found it probably did not know what it was. Drug education is not a big issue in Japan. If they had known I don't think anyone would have touched the bags for fear of some YAK watching, I would be will to go as far as saying they wouldn't even report it to the police out of the same fear. Japan is a funny place. When it comes to stuff like this Japanese people want nothing to do with it. I'm so glad they reported this to the police, nice catch for early risers!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

The police should have put a radio location transmitter in the bags, and waited to see where they went. Catching a haul of drugs only and no people is pretty meaningless.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I gotta start eating more fish...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Fishes are probably swimming high now.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japan, just like the USA, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada my guess, South Korea too, all have drug problems, do the drug narco types cry over knowing that people in these countries have $$ and may want to use it on illegal drugs?? NO! They are in business to make $$$$$ and our lives are CHEAP, Japanese lives etc..are NOTHING just an easy way to make $$$$, time to wake up and realize this! You get hooked on drugs, the mafias LOVE you because you will do ANYTHING to get $$$$$$ to buy their drugs!! Sad??

0 ( +1 / -1 )

North Koreans...on the Pacific side? I don't think so popeye. Methinks somebody got nervous on the way to Y-suka base and dumped the haul, or word was out that incoming planes were being searched and they dumped it.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

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