Canadian man indicted for smuggling record amount of stimulant drugs to Japan

Good job sniffer dogs! We don’t want this in Japan. With the looming recession, young people will to take the long road to hell.

Isabelle, who was charged on Monday with violating the Stimulants Control Law, was quoted by police as saying he was promised a big reward to carry the suitcases, but claims he didn’t know they contained drugs.

Did he bother to think, "Why isn't the person promising me the big reward just carry the suitcases into Japan himself/herself?" I guess not.

Also, when he was asked to carry these suitcases into another country, did he bother to ask, "What's in them?"

Anytime somebody asks you to take something into another country, especially when that person can do it themselves, that's asking for trouble.

What an idiot.

30 Kgs? Heesh! How on earth did he get on the airplane in the first place?

Isabelle, who was charged on Monday with violating the Stimulants Control Law, was quoted by police as saying he was promised a big reward to carry the suitcases, but claims he didn’t know they contained drugs.

I don't think anyone could be that naive in this day and age. But you never know.

That said, if and when drugs are legalized - you cut out all this nonsense with smuggling, cartels, and iffy concoctions.

Escapism comes in all forms.

I'm sorry but stories of people being caught with huge amounts of drugs inside large suitcases, and then claiming after the fact that they 'didn't know' it contained drugs, has been in the news media for decades. Absolutely zero chance this guy did not know what was in those suitcases. No sympathies from me, throw the book at him.

Jail him for a long time. Narcotics - and the government's light-touch policies toward them - are exacting a horrific toll on Canada, with overdoses a leading cause of death. Opioides alone claim 11 deaths a day. Clean, safe Japan certainly doesn't need that.

Misuse of any drug has consequences. Just look at alcohol-related deaths, violence, road traffic accidents...

Everything in moderation. That's the key.

He new exactly what he was doing. IDIOT!!

@papigulio

I agree with you. How did he get that on the airplane to begin with?

30 kg is a lot. That is the size of an Elementary school child. Also, I do not know how that excuse will fly. A mule not knowing they are a mule is almost impossible these days.

How lax is the security check at his airport of origin?!

He's lucky he's not in Bali.

30 kg?! What a dumbass. Lucky you didn't do that in China or some other death penalty for drug smuggling country. But you're going away for a long time stupid

What the actually h***? How did you manage to leave the country with that???

Finding it strange that Isabelle was carrying lots of luggage

Sorry to previous posters, but 30 kg's luggage in checked in luggage is pretty standard.  One big or 2 small suitcases.  So that reason doesn't ring true.

also why would the groundstaff at the airport of origin check?  airline staff are not Customs.

I would like to know where he flew in from.  Chance is he may have been shopped by someone who sold him the drugs as a favour to J customs.

Alternatively the Customs guy got lucky.

Stupid dude, whatever the reason for him being found out.

The guy got stopped because of three things.

1.Being young 2.Having a lot of luggage.3.He was a tourist.

The same happened to me many years ago but as I don’t fit a smuggler’s profile so well now, I find that I am rarely stopped.

There is a job in Japan called ハンドキャリア "hand carrier".

People are paid to ride bullet trains and planes to delivery important stuff, the pay is ok, but the most promising here is the opportunity to travel abroad with all the expenses paid. Wouldn't have the courage to do this kind of job though... What else can be so much important you literally pay someone to hand deliver it for you all the way from another country?

Japan Airlines allows each passenger two pieces of checked baggage weighing up to 23 kg each. Don't know what airline he took I'm just quoting because I used Japan Airlines very recently

Dude please. Get your tail to jail.

@Kaerimashita

I don't think anyone considers 30kg to be a lot of luggage. I believe we were all talking about the amount of drugs. 30kg is a lot of drugs by any standard. If you don't think $16,000,000 in drugs is a lot, I would love to know why.

Looks like de javu all over again.

https://japantoday.com/category/crime/canadian-charged-with-trying-to-smuggle-y630-mil-worth-of-stimulant-drugs-into-japan-in-guitar-case

Everyone is looking at this the wrong way around. Someone handed this guy millions of dollars worth of merchandise which, if he got caught, would be lost. The mule would surely know the serious consequences of getting caught, but took the chance for the "big reward". Why? In both cases, the answer must be that the customs get lucky only one time in several such trips. How many? The only people who really know are the gangsters behind this. My guess would be one in ten.

Legal question:

The article said he was talking to customs. Had he already crossed into japan proper or was he on the other side of line just coming off plane? If he had not crossed the line, believe he could've refused to cross and been charged in canada (air Marshall or other official would fly back with him) as airports before customs are special territories under international rules.

What drug was it? The article didn't say. It might have been something that's been legalised elsewhere. I'm just saying this because there are several posters on here asking for this guy's blood without knowing what the drug was. "Stimulant" could be anything. Coffee even!

Isabelle, who was charged on Monday with violating the Stimulants Control Law, was quoted by police as saying he was promised a big reward to carry the suitcases, but claims he didn’t know they contained drugs.

What an idiot.

Yeah... gotta admit he made a huge mistake here... we don't know anything about the dude other than he's a 21 year old Canadian. He might be a nice guy who has never been in any trouble until now.

What will his punishment be... Paul McCartney got 9 days for around 230 grams of weed... this dude brought in 30 kg of stimulants ( meth? )... uh oh!

The stimulants, with a street value of about 1.8 billion yen, 

Something is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

He's and M&M = a Mug and a Muppet.

He was not checked because of big luggage. I am checked fully every time travelling with a small carry-on luggage for a less than 24-hour trip. Every time, why? I let you find the answer.

I will be travelling next Monday, let's see if confirmed again.

You muppet! Well you've got at least 5 years of sitting in a cell for that stunt young fella, enjoy.

Sorry to previous posters, but 30 kg's luggage in checked in luggage is pretty standard. One big or 2 small suitcases. So that reason doesn't ring true.

The article doesn't say exactly how much luggage he had. He could have had many suitcases that he paid extra for before leaving Canada.

The guy got stopped because of three things. 1.Being young 2.Having a lot of luggage.3.He was a tourist.

I am also curious if Japan customs has been strict on Canadians lately due to Canada legalizing marijuana. I remember reading here that they would arrest Japanese who have used marijuana on their Canada trip.

stimulant drugs is vague. Were they caffeine pills or something else? Maybe he was bringing them to a college friend who requested them and they are legal in Canada, so he didn't know they were illegal in Japan?

I use Sudafed all the time, but it is illegal in Japan and a few other countries where I've travelled. It is available over the counter at home. For a week trip, I'd bring 5-7 pills - the 12 hour symptom reducing type. I've never had any customs issues with it anywhere in the world, including Japan. It happens to be a mild stimulant as well.

30kg is well beyond the personal use amount, so distribution was clearly the intent.

I'm only bringing this up as a consideration. Young people don't always consider that different drugs perfectly legal at home aren't legal elsewhere.

What a ignorant mule? good for him, he should be in Japan for a good long years.

Dumb Canadian man.

Canadians are automatically tagged by the destination countries. Keep your "legal" drugs to yoself!

Keep your "legal" drugs to yoself!

Speak for yourself. I want them to share.

He is lucky. In Singapore and China. he would face the death if he was found guilty. Which based on the evidence, he most likely would.

Excuses excuses all criminals have them ( he didn’t know the suitcases contained drugs ) Sure you can Lie & Play Stupid but you got caught and now it's time to pay the piper with Lots of Prison time and Deportation, never to return to the land of the Raising Sun.

Punishment should match the crime. Do like dad and make the guy smoke/snort it all in front of the customs guy before entering japanese side of customs.

He's going to be locked up at our (Japanese taxpayer) expense for a long time.

This strikes me as a very brazen attempt to get a huge amount of drugs in. Can we interpret it as a comment on the general standard of airport security? They must have expected the shipment to get through. Is that how easy it actually is?

Two Canadians on the same day with a large amount of drugs, wondering if the liberal drugs laws in Canada have led to Canadians now being targeted by custom officials.

Gee, they didn't attempt to hide it much!

30KG of ice...hmmm, someone is gonna be very angry. With such a high street value, you'd think they might put a little money and effort into concealing the gear. Single mother with child seems a much more reliable mule to me.

Isabelle, who was charged on Monday with violating the Stimulants Control Law, was quoted by police as saying he was promised a big reward to carry the suitcases, but claims he didn’t know they contained drugs.

Quite possible. This has happened many times before. But ignorance is no excuse.