Pair of American women arrested after alleged plan to smuggle $1M cannabis into Tokyo for a paid trip

Two American women were stopped at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport after customs found about 30 kg of dried cannabis hidden in their luggage, worth roughly US$1 million. One suspect admitted she joined a drug-courier scheme that purportedly would cover airfare and lodging to visit Japan; the other denies the allegations. In Japan, cannabis import is illegal and can carry up to seven years in prison, with possible decades-long entry bans for foreigners, and the justice system reports a high conviction rate, meaning their case will proceed under Japanese law.