Eight men — three Japanese and five foreigners — have been arrested on suspicion of violating the Narcotics Control Act after they were caught in possession of approximately 178 kilograms of cocaine at a fishing port in Tateyama City, Chiba Prefecture in May.
The 3rd Regional Coast Guard and police said Friday that the cocaine was seized on May 30, NHK reported. Police said the gang leader, Masayuki Kashiwagi, 60, two other Japanese men and five foreigners of Greek, Italian and Turkish nationalities, were arrested after they took the cocaine from a foreign ship off the coast of Chiba Prefecture, and transported it to the fishing port on a pleasure boat to unload it.
A search of Kashiwagi’s pleasure boat and a car parked near the fishing port revealed approximately 178 kilograms of cocaine, with a street value of 4.45 billion yen.
This is the largest amount of cocaine ever seized within the jurisdiction of the Third Regional Coast Guard Headquarters, police said.
https://japantoday.com/category/crime/3-japanese-5-foreigners-arrested-for-cocaine-smuggling
