2 US Women Charged With Smuggling Weed Into Japan

Two 25-year-old American women are accused of trying to enter Japan with nearly $1 million in marijuana hidden in their luggage. Tokyo police say the pair flew into Haneda Airport from New York with two suitcases allegedly containing about 30 kilograms of dried cannabis, valued at roughly $970,000, the Japan Times reports. A police spokesperson says the women are suspected of conspiring with an unidentified accomplice and were arrested on suspicion of smuggling for profit under Japan's strict drug laws.

One woman told investigators she took the job for the cash and "was attracted by the fact I could go to Japan for free," according to Nippon TV. The other reportedly said she didn't know there was cannabis hidden in her suitcase. CBS News reports that according to local media, the women said they received instructions from a man on social media but never met him in person. A conviction for profit-driven cannabis smuggling in Japan can bring up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 3 million yen, around $20,000.