2 Malaysians Arrested for Allegedly Smuggling Stimulants Soaked in Wet Wipes; ¥530 Million Worth of Drugs Seized

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:51 JST, June 13, 2025

SENDAI — Two Malaysian nationals have been arrested on suspicion of attempting to smuggle stimulants into Japan by soaking them in wet tissues, Miyagi prefectural police said on Thursday.

The two suspects, aged 52 and 46, are believed to have imported stimulants soaked in wet tissues onto an airplane from Malaysia on May 13, according to the police and other sources.

They hid a total of 25 packs of wet tissues in their backpacks and such, one of which contained about 366 grams of stimulants (worth ¥21 million). The total amount they tried to smuggle is estimated to be about 9.2 kilograms (worth ¥530 million).

The two arrived at Sendai Airport from Malaysia via Taiwan and the customs branch found the stimulants on them. Following a complaint from customs, the prefectural police arrested the two on May 15.