2 arrested for suspected drug smuggling at Narita airport
NARITA, Japan, Jan. 11 Kyodo
Two Asian men have been arrested on charges of attempting to separately smuggle heroin into Japan in December, Narita airport police and customs officials said Thursday.
The officials identified the suspects as Yuan Yung-ch’uan, a 43-year-old Taiwan national, and Lin Chin Eng, a 40-year-old unemployed Singaporean. The two are suspected of violating the Narcotics Control Law among other charges.
According to investigations, Yuan, employed in the orchid cultivation business, arrived at Narita airport from Bangkok on Dec. 23 with about 350 grams of heroin allegedly concealed inside leather shoes he was wearing. The stash had an estimated street value of about 21 million yen, the officials said.
Lin, who arrived at the same airport from Bangkok a day later, allegedly tried to smuggle in about 1 kilogram of heroin inside a container labeled ”coffee,” police said, adding that Lin’s stash had an estimated street value of some 62 million yen.
Customs officials became suspicious of Yuan as the shoes he was wearing were unusually large for his build, the officials said.
They also found it strange that Lin, who came from Thailand, was carrying a bag from a Singapore duty-free shop. The heroin was found in the bag.
Lin allegedly confessed to smuggling for the money. Yuan, however, has denied the charges against him, saying, ”I was only asked by a Thai man to wear these shoes, but I did not know there was heroin in there.”
COPYRIGHT 2001 Kyodo News International, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group
