Malaysian authorities seize cannabis, not cocaine, from 3 Japanese men at Kuala Lumpur airport
The men flew from Bangkok on Tuesday, and baggage screening revealed ‘suspicious images’. Officials did not explain the error
In correcting its previous day’s statement, the Border Control and Protection Agency offered no explanation for how the initial error occurred.
The men arrived from Bangkok by plane on Tuesday. “Suspicious images” were detected during baggage screening by scanners, and physical inspection of their six suitcases later found the drugs hidden within packages of anchovies and dried shrimp.
The agency said on Thursday that it has yet to determine the street value of the cannabis buds.
Mariko Takeuchi, a former nurse, was initially sentenced to be hanged, but following capital punishment reforms that took effect in 2023, her death sentence was commuted to 30 years in prison.