Six Taiwanese arrested in Okinawa for alleged drug trafficking
2016/05/19 14:10:28
(Photo courtesy of the Investigation Bureau)
Tokyo, May 19 (CNA) Six Taiwanese citizens have been arrested by the Japanese authorities for alleged drug trafficking, after a large amount of amphetamine was found on a Malaysia-registered yacht traveling from Taiwan to Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture of Japan.
When they underwent immigration checks May 11 at a harbor in Naha, Okinawa's capital city, each of the six Taiwanese aboard the yacht was found to be carrying a small amount of ketamine. They were detained for further investigation.
On May 17, the Japanese coast guard and customs officers boarded the yacht to carry out an inspection and found 600 kilograms of amphetamine. The drugs had an estimated market value of 42 billion Japanese yen (US$380.55 million).
It was the largest drug haul ever recorded in Okinawa. The Taiwanese remain in detention as the investigation continues.
All six (three men and three women) set out from Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan in early May. They first went to Ishigaki Island, also part of Okinawa Prefecture, but nothing abnormal was detected by Japanese authorities at the time.
They then moved north to Naha, where they were caught.
(By Yang Ming-chu and Elaine Hou)
