Japanese police find 74 packets of cocaine inside foreign traveler complaining of stomach pains
Usually if you hear about someone stuffing a sock down the front of their pants, it's a guy wanting his package to be perceived as more prodigious than it really is. In April, though, customs officials at Osaka's Kansai International Airport learned that a woman who was trying to enter Japan had crammed a sock into the crotch of her clothing.
Apparently the bulge wasn't immediately visually apparent, but an officer noticed that the traveler, a 35-year-old Brazilian woman named Jessica Ramos de Souza, looked unusually tense while she was going through the standard customs process. She was then flagged for a more comprehensive examination of her luggage and person, which turned up 13 packets of cocaine, including a number that Souza had hidden inside the sock that she'd hidden inside her pants.
At some point in the examination, Souza began to complain of stomach pains, so she was taken to a hospital for a medical examination, and X-rays quickly determined the source of her discomfort: 74 more packets of cocaine, in condom-like encasings, which she'd swallowed, presumably in hopes of sticking to a timetable in which she would have passed through customs and been out of the airport quickly enough to get to a secluded space and expel the packets from her body before the discomfort became unbearable.
In total, Souza had 675.5 grams of cocaine on/in her when she entered Japan. Souza has been placed under arrest on charges of violating Japan's narcotics control act. She has admitted to smuggling the cocaine, but says that she had no intention of selling it, a claim which may or may not hold up as the authorities continue to investigate the original source of the drugs and potential accomplices.
It's probably a pretty safe assumption that SoraNews24 readers and international drug mules are two demographics with minimal overlap, but all the same, this is a good spot to remind everyone that Japan's criminal justice system does not fool around when it comes to drugs, and Souza's arrest not becoming public knowledge until more than a month after the incident means that anyone caught smuggling is likely to be sitting in lockup for a very long time even if they somehow manage to avoid going to trial.
Source: Asahi ABC News via Yahoo! Japan News, NHK News Web
Top image: Pakutaso
● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
SoraNews24
3 days ago
- SoraNews24
Why is self-censoring tape appearing all over Tokyo's host club ads?【Photos】
New law means that one of the host club industry's standard marketing ploys is now illegal. In May, the Japanese government passed new ordinances regarding host clubs, bars where women pay for the privilege of having handsome men sit, drink, and chat with them. The changes were prompted by recent increases in instances of women falling into heavy debt at host clubs and then being pressured to take on work themselves at hostess clubs or other sexual entertainment providers in order to pay back the money they owe. This wasn't a case of politicians punting the issue into the far future for other administrations to deal with, either, as the amendments to the Entertainment Business Law are already in effect. As of June 28, it is now illegal for hosts to exploit customers' romantic feelings as a means to coerce them to spend more money at their club. More concrete amendments to the law also make it illegal for host clubs to allow customers to drink on credit (thus going into debt to the club), and the system of 'scout back' payments, in which host clubs would receive payments for referring in-debt female customers to hostess club owners, adult video producers, and other adult entertainment employers. There's one other major change to the law, and it affects how host clubs are allowed to advertise. As it so happens, SoraNews24 headquarters in Tokyo isn't that far from the section of the Kabukicho neighborhood that has one of Japan's largest number of host clubs, and well as one of the densest concentrations of horst club billboards. So now that the Entertainment Business Law revisions are in place, we decided to stroll on over and see what's changed, and sure enough, the place is looking different these days. We've blurred the faces and names of the hosts/host clubs in these photos, but the large and numerous blacked-out sections? That's not photo editing on our end – that's how host club ads in Shinjuku actually look right now. The above photo was taken at the Ecolo Park Kabuki-cho 21 parking lot corner, which has been covered in host club ads for many years. About a third of the space now is solid black, with entire advertisements entirely removed or completely covered. ▼ A Google Street View screen capture showing what the place looked like in December of 2024 So why the change? Under the new laws, it's now illegal for host clubs to publicize an individual host's earnings for the club, either in numerical terms or relative references like 'our club's number-one host,' in its advertising. References to things such as being the club's most often requested host from customers is also banned, as are both titles and pseudo-titles, such as 'the million yen-a-night player.' Broadcasting an aura of success has long been a major part of host club marketing, as creating the mystique that a host is in high demand makes time with him feel like a previous commodity, and a host who's then skilled enough to make the customer he's talking to at that moment feel like he's especially fond of her gives her an additional ego boost by making her feel like she stands out from the rest of his admirers. It can also act as lucrative leverage in convincing customers to spend beyond their budget, because of course they don't want their favorite host to lose his status as one of the club's brightest stars, do they? Now all of that is off the table in terms of allowable advertising though, which means that there's a lot of stuff that needs to be covered if host clubs want to keep their existing signs up. While wide strips of black tape is the most common way host clubs are complying, some have picked other colors top try to blend into the ads background better or tried to do a street art-style paint-over. With the short time between when the new ordinances were announced and when they went into effect, odds are all the self-censoring tape is just a temporary response while waiting for new signs to be printed that are compliant with the new law, but host club advertising is going to look a little different going forward. Screenshot: Google Street View All other photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
The Mainichi
5 days ago
- The Mainichi
What to know about the trial of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro
WRIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro will wear an electronic ankle monitor on orders from the Supreme Court, where he is on trial for allegedly masterminding a coup plot to remain in office despite his defeat in the 2022 election. The case received renewed attention after President Donald Trump directly tied a 50% tariff on Brazilian imported goods to Bolsonaro's judicial situation, which Trump called a " witch hunt." The Supreme Court's order for Bolsonaro to wear an ankle monitor, among other restrictions, came after Federal Police and prosecutors said Bolsonaro is a flight risk. Authorities, listing multiple social media posts, also accused Bolsonaro of working with his son Eduardo to incite the United States to interfere in the trial and impose sanctions against Brazilian officials. On Friday, the U.S. State Department announced visa restrictions on Brazilian judicial officials, prompting President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva 's to condemn what he called the unacceptable interference of one country in another's justice system. Here's what you need to know about Bolsonaro's trial: The charges against Bolsonaro The prosecution accuses Bolsonaro of leading an armed criminal organization, attempting to stage a coup and attempting the violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, aggravated damage, and deterioration of listed heritage sites. A federal police investigation placed Bolsonaro at the top of a criminal organization that had been active since at least 2021. Police say that after Bolsonaro's loss to Lula, the organization conspired to overturn the election result. Part of that plot included a plan to kill Lula and a Supreme Court justice, the prosecution alleges. It also says that the Jan. 8 riot when Bolsonaro supporters ransacked top government buildings a week after Lula took office was an attempt to force military intervention and oust the new president. Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet says Bolsonaro's actions "were not limited to a passive stance of resistance to defeat, but were a conscious effort to create an environment conducive to violence and a coup." In the court order unsealed Friday, Justice Alexandre de Moraes said Bolsonaro and his son may also have committed the crimes of coercion during a legal proceeding, obstruction of an investigation involving a criminal organization and attack on Brazil's sovereignty. What Bolsonaro says Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied the allegations and asserted that he's the target of political persecution. He has echoed Trump and called the trial a "witch hunt." The far-right former leader has now been barred from using social media, but on Thursday, he said on X that "those who challenge the system are being punished, silenced, and isolated." Regarding the restrictive measures carried out on Friday, Bolsonaro called them a "supreme humiliation." "I never thought about leaving Brazil, I never thought about going to an embassy, but the precautionary measures are because of that," he told journalists in Brasilia. Next steps After the prosecution called for a guilty verdict in its final allegations issued Tuesday, the defense will soon present its case, likely in the coming weeks. The panel of Supreme Court justices that opened the trial against Bolsonaro will vote on whether to convict or acquit him. Experts say a decision is expected before the end of the year. A guilty verdict on the coup plot charge carries a sentence of up to 12 years, which could, along with guilty verdicts on other charges, bring decades behind bars. But Antonio Jose Teixeira Martins, a law professor at Rio de Janeiro State University, said Bolsonaro could be detained even before there's a verdict. "Whether this happens or not depends on how events unfold from now on, that is if these new measures prove sufficient to guarantee public order, the application of criminal law and prevent the risk of escape," Teixeira Martins said. Brazil's top electoral court has already banned Bolsonaro from running in elections until 2030 over abuse of power while in office and casting unfounded doubts on the country's electronic voting system.
Japan Today
6 days ago
- Japan Today
Tensions rise as Lula blasts U.S. over visa sanctions tied to Bolsonaro trial
By Marcela Ayres Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called a U.S. decision to impose visa bans on officials involved in former President Jair Bolsonaro's trial "arbitrary" and "baseless," and said foreign interference in the judiciary was "unacceptable." In a statement on Saturday, the leftist leader said the action violated fundamental principles of respect and sovereignty between nations. In an escalation of tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and the government of Latin America's largest economy, Washington imposed visa restrictions on Friday on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, his family and other unnamed court officials. The visa bans were a response to the Supreme Court's decision to issue search warrants and restraining orders targeting Trump ally Bolsonaro, who is accused of plotting a coup to overturn the results of a 2022 election he lost. "I am certain that no form of intimidation or threat, from anyone, will compromise the most important mission of Brazil's powers and institutions, which is to permanently defend and uphold the democratic rule of law," said Lula. Solicitor general Jorge Messias, the top judicial official for Lula's executive branch, said in a statement posted on X late Friday that Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet was also targeted by the ban. Messias said no "improper maneuver" or "sordid conspiratorial act" would intimidate the judiciary in carrying out its duties with independence, as he condemned what he also described as arbitrary U.S. visa revocations targeting Brazilian officials for fulfilling their constitutional responsibilities. In addition to Moraes, seven other justices from Brazil's 11-member Supreme Court were also hit by the U.S. visa restrictions, Government Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann said on Friday. They include justices Luis Roberto Barroso, Dias Toffoli, Cristiano Zanin, Flavio Dino, Carmen Lucia, Edson Fachin, and Gilmar Mendes. The Prosecutor General's Office and the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump has criticised the proceedings against Bolsonaro as a "witch hunt", a term he has used to describe his own treatment by political opponents, and has called for the charges to be dropped. In a letter last week, he announced a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods starting August 1, opening the message with criticism of the trial. Bolsonaro is on trial before Brazil's Supreme Court on charges of plotting a coup to stop Lula from taking office in January 2023. The right-wing firebrand has denied that he led an attempt to overthrow the government but has acknowledged taking part in meetings aimed at reversing the election's outcome. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
