Canadian Woman Arrested on Suspicion of Smuggling 30 kg of Illegal Drugs to Fukuoka Airport

The Yomiuri Shimbun

10:59 JST, July 1, 2025

A Canadian woman was arrested Monday on suspicion of smuggling about 30 kg of illegal drugs, whose street value is about ¥1.74 billion, by plane into Fukuoka Airport, the Fukuoka prefectural police said.

The self-claimed university student and construction worker of unknown residence is suspected of putting the drugs into 16 plastic bags before wrapping the bags in items like towels and smuggling them into the airport from Canada inside two suitcases by June 13.

She has denied the allegation, quoted as saying, “I got the suitcases from a friend. If the drugs were illegal, I would not have brought them.”