Japanese grandfather gets life in prison in Indonesia drug case

Well, age does not bring wisdom. Total lack of common sense on his part. I'd feel sorry for him if he hadn't knowingly accepted a "bag" from some woman he wasn't too familiar with. Should he get out of this with his life, maybe he'll be wiser... or will he try to repeat the same stupid mistake?

He can appeal the sentence and then he will get the death sentence. Thats the way it works there. As for the story. I am sure most of them come up with some rubbish like that. The sentence often depends on which country you come from and Indonesias relations with that country.

A babe in the wood.

Indonesia's drug problem never ends does it, no matter how many they hand outrageous sentences to. They obviously have the wrong end of the stick.

Perhaps if the government improved the quality of life for Indonesians, fewer would turn to drugs, then they can stop destroying the lives of mules, whom they basically jail for the crime of stupidity.

His life sentence will be short compared to a dumb 20 year old who gets caught.

Another drug mule that may be featured on the next season of the Locked Up Abroad cable show if they let him interview.

Where was the drug found? Specifically. Kawada checked the bag and didn't find anything suspicious so was it well hidden (as in casual observance would not have raised any doubts but a dog or X-ray would). Who is Edward Mark? What is his relationship to Kawada? Kawada's English teacher? A neighbor? A familiar face at a bar they both frequent? A friend of a friend? Why did Mark ask Kawada to go to Macau? Was it to meet the Chinese woman who gave Kawada the bag containing the methamphetamine?

That's a lot of questions DenTok.

The alarm bells should have been ringing long before he even set foot there. C'mon...someone offers you a free holiday with cash thrown in!!!

"a free holiday with cash thrown in"?

Wow! Sounds too good to be true!

Playing clueless Japanese tourist did not work.

"Hi, I'm a foreigner with a name that sounds suspiciously like some weak effort out of a poorly-translated manga or company brochure written by idiots trying to come up with a foreign-sounding name and not sure at all of which goes first and which goes last, and I want to pay for you, a complete stranger, to take a fabulous vacation to Macau! While there, you're going to meet a femme fatale who will ask you to do some task for her. But don't worry! Everything is on the level!"

He is old enough to know better than carry a stranger's bag on an airline. I seriously doubt that he was given an all paid vacation for nothing. He knew it was not a straight deal. I have no sympathy for him.

@Stewart Gale I can't believe an AP reporter wrote this article. Doesn't seem up to standard... but I suppose with journalism in decline (oohay, anyone? ;p), not so surprising.

Either he is, despite of his age, a complete idiot, or just pretends to be one. Neither makes me feel sympathy for him.

Are there lots of users in indonesia? Why so much demand for drugs there?

One would think " they" ( if there were) would stand to make a lot more money in Japan. But my surprise really is how there hasn't been a mass movement to campaign for him for being maliciously framed. Always as if other countries laws aren't applicable to them.

They should finish this Ojisan ...

(Indonesia) when in my high school, most of my rich male classmate has consumed drugs. as I am female, I didn't play with them. when I met some male friend, sometimes I asked whether they have consumed it, and they replied they aren't addict. just have tried it. so if there's no action from government, or they didn't ban it, could be like a tobacco (tobacco is legal). Do you know how many elementary school students in Indonesia are smoking? you will be surprise. Drugs are like prestise (because it's expensive), as well as tobacco are like gentleman/macho man in Indonesia (I think). but for women, drugs and tobacco just bad.

Wc: There are users there but not so great. What it is is an excellent jumping point to rich Western Countries. Lots more gets through rather then gets caught.

According to court documents, a man identified as Edward Mark met Kawada in Japan last November and asked him to travel to Macau, for which Mark paid for his tickets and accommodations and gave him $500 in travel expenses

So........either Kawada is lying or he is incredibly STUPID! Either way he deserves time by the sounds of it

i feel sorry for this guy

Are there lots of users in indonesia? Why so much demand for drugs there?

There's a stiff demand for headlines.

Japanese grandfather gets life in prison in Indonesia drug case

He's lucky he didn't get the firing squad like a bunch of people did recently

a "light sentence of 16 years" for a man who is 73?!?! that's basically the same as his sentence of life in prison.

He should have told the woman to FEDEX it, and gone back to Japan.

Odd. Whenever someone with a mental disorder gets overwhelmed and commits a violent crime, JT users want to throw the book at them. When a kindly old man of sound mind and body commits a drug crime motivated entirely by personal greed and stupidity, then everyone gets sympathetic.

I didn't see much sympathy in the comments there @katsu78

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimated the worldwide production of amphetamine-type stimulants, which includes methamphetamine, at nearly 500 metric tons a year, with 24.7 million abusers. Keeping this guy in prison for the rest of his life will not make any difference apart from increase the taxa burdon on Indonesians.

Edward Mark --- The name does not sound like Japanese. I'd bet he is a mule who was coached how to behave when he is caught. But this could be his business. Many bisiness men, politicians etc are grandpa and over 73 yra old. Or he is recruitted because young mules get death sentence..

I wonder how long before they start using drones to fly the drugs in from small ships offshore? Not too expensive, probably a higher success rate, and training a drone operator would cost you less in the long-run than constantly finding a bunch of morons/desperate people to be mules.

Edward Mark, eh? And there I was thinking it was the Yaks who controlled all the meth in Japan. I hope they don't get ahold of this mysterious gaijin.

@Douglas Macarthy I do too

Surely police would have records of this Edward Mark entering Japan and know where he is? If he's reading this he may well be bricking himself? Personally speaking I think the name was just made up by the old geezer on the spot when the grilling started.

So just exactly where is this Mark character? Or the Chinese woman? Or the woman's "friend" in Padang?

Nowhere to be seen, surprise, surprise.

Many airline agents ask the question "have you accepted any parcels or bags from strangers?", or "has your bag been in your possession at all times since commencing your journey?". I wonder if they asked him.

Odd. Whenever someone with a mental disorder gets overwhelmed and commits a violent crime, JT users want to throw the book at them. When a kindly old man of sound mind and body commits a drug crime motivated entirely by personal greed and stupidity, then everyone gets sympathetic.

There is a huge difference between a violent crime and drug trafficking, in my opinion.