Trade ministry official arrested for attempting to smuggle stimulant

Get ready for another suspended sentence to be handed down.

A official committing a serious crime and then receiving no consequences? That would never happen in Japan.

'A stimulant'? That could mean coffee. How about some specifics...

'A stimulant'? That could mean coffee. How about some specifics...

The prices they list put it at about 60,000 yen/gram. That's pretty pricey by weight. I'm guessing it's meth/shabu, I don't think any other common stimulants would cost that much.

22 grams is a significant quantity; why risk such a safe career?

22 grams is a significant quantity; why risk such a safe career?

Because he is in the ministry, he probably figured he was immune from getting caught.

The prices they list put it at about 60,000 yen/gram. That's pretty pricey by weight. I'm guessing it's meth/shabu, I don't think any other common stimulants would cost that much

My point is that a 'stimulant' could be just about anything.

The prices they list put it at about 60,000 yen/gram. That's pretty pricey by weight. I'm guessing it's meth/shabu, I don't think any other common stimulants would cost that much

My point is that a 'stimulant' could be just about anything.

Sorry, didn't mean for that to come off harsh...

What would happen if my colleague slept with my partner and I decided for revenge, to post drugs to them in the most stupid, easy to get caught way? Their career would be finished for life, their family shamed, kids bullied, and maybe pretrial detention and a few years in prison...

Keep drugs out of Japan. Amazing job by the Police! Like finding a needle in a haystack, and they found it.

Keep drugs out of Japan. Amazing job by the Police! Like finding a needle in a haystack, and they found it.

yet drugs are easily available in Japan if you know where to look. Most of these drugs are manufacturered in Japan by organised crime

What would happen if my colleague slept with my partner and I decided for revenge, to post drugs to them in the most stupid, easy to get caught way? oh I heard a rumour a friend of a friend whos done just that, made it look like a mail order from some asian country. But it wasnt for cheating. Just remember they rarely check out going mail in many asian countries , just incoming mail into Japan. Revenge can be a biatch

22 grams is a significant quantity; why risk such a safe career?

If you had read any other threds on this site about drug arrests here in Japan, you would know that it’s because with getting one’s high on comes a certain twisted rationalization that drugs don’t do anyone any harm, as well as other distorted feelings of entitlement and persecution.

I think they said on the TV news that 22 grams is enough for 500 to 1,000 hits.

What would happen if my colleague slept with my partner and I decided for revenge, to post drugs to them in the most stupid, easy to get caught way?

Police will find no records of order or payment from your colleague and may find your name in the transaction.

I find it incredible that a 28 year old would risk his career for something like drugs. I would think getting a bureaucratic job here is not an easy feat.

@educator60

Well, since he was arrested it’s probably safe to assume it wasn’t coffee, but something illegal like meth. What do you want, the exact chemical formula of the substance? For what purpose?

Really? The chemical formula? How about, just maybe we can get, oh I don't know, but maybe the name of the drug? In a news report about a political figure being arrested for smuggling a drug, I'd like to know what he was actually arrested for. "A stimulant" means absolutely nothing. Caffeine is a stimulant. He could have been smuggling high end chocolate. How about we actually get information with our news.

@educator60

What do you want, the exact chemical formula of the substance? 

Students in Journalism 101 are told on the first day that news writing should be as clear, precise and unambiguous as possible. The person who wrote the article didn't come close too meeting this basic principle. As pointed out, a "stimulant" could be a vast range of substances, many of them legal.

Japanese police use the word "stimulant" in their handouts to the media, and it seems the "journalist" and editor working on this article were extremely lazy.

How about, just maybe we can get, oh I don't know, but maybe the name of the drug? In a news report about a political figure being arrested for smuggling a drug, I'd like to know what he was actually arrested for.

Newspaper reports about meth busts in the US are no more specific than the Japanese report. If the substance was made in an illegal clandestine factory it's not going to carry some kind of brand name. A 28-year old very junior bureaucrat is not a "political figure" by any stretch of the imagination.

Newspaper reports about meth busts in the US are no more specific than the Japanese report. 

Incorrect. They will often say 'meth,' 'speed,' or other drug names. Even with the opioid overdoses and other issues, the various common names are included in the reports, and if a specific one is found, it's mentioned.

Newspaper reports about meth busts in the US are no more specific than the Japanese report.

If it was a meth bust then the drug they were busted for was meth and it will be reported on. If it was meth, cocaine, marijuana, US news will say so.

A 28-year old very junior bureaucrat is not a "political figure" by any stretch of the imagination.

He was enough of one to make the news for being arrested.

But regardless, and I don't know why this is so hard to understand, if I am going to read a story about anyone being arrested for drug possession, I expect to actually be told what drug he possessed. There is a huge difference between being caught with a baggie of marijuana and a baggie of crack.

If the substance was made in an illegal clandestine factory it's not going to carry some kind of brand name.

And what is with all this 'brand name' and 'chemical formula' nonsense? Illegal drugs have specific names. Meth. Crack. Cocaine. Ecstasy. Marijuana. I know that Bayer didn't make the damn drug. Saying someone was arrested for 'being caught with a stimulant' is pretty much like saying that a guy that robbed a liquor store was 'did an illegal thing at a store'.