Airport bungle gives passenger $10,000 in drugs

[Justin L]

This is quite bizarre. The dog didn't go wacko for this smacko.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/a-ve...653984557.html

Airport bungle gives passenger $10,000 in drugs
May 27, 2008 - 9:32AM

An unsuspecting passenger who flew to Tokyo is carrying one million yen's worth of cannabis compliments of customs authorities after a bungled exercise involving sniffer dogs.

An officer at Narita International Airport yesterday stuffed 142 grams of the drug into the side pocket of a randomly-selected black suitcase coming off an overseas flight so that the animal could detect it.

"The dog couldn't find it and the officer also forgot which bag he put it in," a customs office spokeswoman said.

"If by some chance passengers find it in their suitcase, we're asking them to return it."

The 38-year-old officer was quoted by the spokeswoman as saying: "I knew that using passengers' bags (for sniffer dog training) is prohibited, but I did it because I wanted to improve the sniffer dog's ability."

He was reprimanded by the head of customs at Narita airport.

"This case was extremely regrettable. I would like to deeply apologise," said the airport's customs chief Manpei Tanaka.

The cannabis, which has a street value of one million yen ($A10,100), was in a metal box wrapped with newspapers.

Japan strictly prohibits both hard and soft drugs, with people imprisoned for possession of even small amounts of cannabis.

AFP

[Rhys Xanthis]

oh my goodness. I would hate to be the passenger...what if you dont discover it...get to next port in another country

[NickN]

That's exactly what happened with Schapelle

Although the dog must have been brain dead if they needed 4kg for it to sniff out!

[Kieran Wells]

you have to be seriously kidding...The Japanese are usually one of the most proficent in most things that they do..This guy mite need to fall on his sword!!!

[Montague S]

given the recent Corby troubles I don't doubt that she smuggled the drugs in to Bali, bad move on behalf of the Japanese, what if the unsuspecting traveller doesn't notice the drugs and makes a trip to Singapore?

[Marius B]

Well if the guy is into that stuff, sure must have made his day!!!!

[Ryan N]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/airp...654173619.html

Japan says sorry for planting drugs on passenger

Japan has said sorry for planting cannabis on an incoming Hong Kong passenger to test out one of its sniffer dogs, a news report said today.

Embarrassed officials had to issue a public appeal to the passenger to return the 142 grams of cannabis after the sniffer dog failed to detect it and the customs officer forgot which bag he planted the drugs in.

The incident on Sunday, in which a passenger on a Cathay Pacific flight into Tokyo was targeted collecting a suitcase from the airport carousel, brought an outcry from the Hong Kong government and tourism officials.

The drugs - worth almost $US10,000 ($A10,436.23) - were eventually recovered on Monday evening from the passenger in a Tokyo hotel, but it is not known if the passenger was traced or whether he or she alerted officials.

In a statement in today South China Morning Post, a spokesperson for Japan's customs authorities said the department felt "great regret and we offer our deepest apologies."

The statement went on: "We will also thoroughly investigate the case and punish concerned officers to ensure a repeat of such an incident will not occur."

The 38-year-old customs officer responsible told reporters that he realised he should not have planted cannabis on an unsuspecting passenger, but said he had done it before and the dogs had always previously found the drugs.

DPA