Dog misses planted drugs in Japan, customs embarrassed

[oz_mark]

Dog misses planted drugs in Japan, customs embarrassed

Japanese customs officials apologized Monday for putting cannabis in an unsuspecting passenger's luggage but no one has come forward yet to accept the apology or to return the drugs.

A customs agent hoping to test Narita airport's sniffer dogs put 142 grams of cannabis into the side pocket of a randomly selected suitcase, officials said.

"The dog couldn't find it and the officer [then] forgot which bag he put it into," a spokeswoman told journalists in Tokyo. "If by some chance passengers find it in their suitcase, we're asking them to return it."

The cannabis is worth about $10,000 in Japan, which has some of the strictest anti-narcotics laws in Asia. No one has brought it back yet.

 

[NM]

I sure hope this passenger's next destination is not Thailand or Indonesia :shock:. This is one major OOPS.

 

[v8Statesman]

I sure hope this passenger's next destination is not Thailand or Indonesia :shock:. This is one major OOPS.

Sure is. If the traveller is anything like me, s/he would never open the outside pockets and not know it was there:!:

How the hell would you even try and explain this if pulled up in BKK? Firing squad for you!

Maybe Schapelle's lawyers should try this as a defence

 

[NM]

Maybe Schapelle's lawyers should try this as a defence

I think there may be a lot of people claiming to have travelled through NRT in their recent past. I am going through NRT next week, so perhaps I should double check my bag at the next stopover .

 

[Mal]

A huge oops on the Customs side. I believe I read in one article that this type of testing in passenger bags is not allowed (for obvious reasons). I presume instead they use people employed by Customs for carrying the bags around.

Another reason to ensure that your bags are secured as much as possible!

 

[kpc]

Another reason to ensure that your bags are secured as much as possible!

That is the main reason I too lock all my side pockets on my bag....not too concerned about losing things but someone stuffing something illegal into it. If I found that package in my bag, I would be flushing it immediately down the toilet, tossing that bag out, and buying a new one. I won't be taking any risks, with the death penalty for importing illegal drugs in some countries:!:...I reckon the officer involved should be sacked for his actions.

 

[oz_mark]

A huge oops on the Customs side. I believe I read in one article that this type of testing in passenger bags is not allowed (for obvious reasons). I presume instead they use people employed by Customs for carrying the bags around.

I've only ever seen the testing of dogs detecting fruit before, and it was planted on other quarantine officers. I imagine testing of drugs would be along similar lines (one would guess they would want to keep some control over where their stash goes!)

 

[NM]

A huge oops on the Customs side. I believe I read in one article that this type of testing in passenger bags is not allowed (for obvious reasons). I presume instead they use people employed by Customs for carrying the bags around.

I would have expected any such testing would be done with a specially planed bag and not a real passenger's bag.

 

[Flying Fox]

Can't believe that they do this with a random passenger's bag who isn't told or involved by customs. As said previously, you would think that they either -

1. Have a customs official in casual clothes
2. A specially tagged bag for testing

crazy stuff

 

[JohnK]

I believe I read in one article that this type of testing in passenger bags is not allowed (for obvious reasons).

They should never be allowed to use passengers bags for testing.

Another reason to ensure that your bags are secured as much as possible!

Yes we can do our best to secure our luggage but if customs officers are going to make these type blunders we have no hope. Perhaps it is time to review my old luggage as the bag has an opening underneath, which cannot be locked, where the adjustable handle attaches to the bag.

 

[serfty]

It seems the stash was promptly returned by the passenger:

Bungling Customs gets missing drugs back | The Courier-Mail

Bungling Customs gets missing drugs back

Article from: The Courier-Mail

May 27, 2008 10:24am

A SHOCKED airline passenger has returned a million yen's worth of cannabis that customs staff planted in his bag in a bungled sniffer dog exercise. ...

 

[kpc]

The man called police who returned the cannabis to Narita airport", Japan Today said.

Hmm, as posted above, I'm not sure I would be ringing the police first up. What would happen if it was not customs who planted the drugs on you?!:evil::idea: ...or the officer involved denied planting it to save his own skin / job?!

 

[serfty]

I have surmised the metal container would be been very clearly marked with instruction on what to do if found.

 

[Maca44]

Hmm, as posted above, I'm not sure I would be ringing the police first up. What would happen if it was not customs who planted the drugs on you?!:evil::idea: ...or the officer involved denied planting it to save his own skin / job?!

I don't think it would matter if the officer denied planting the drugs or not, because no-one would contact the Police if they were somehow involved with the drugs in the first instance. I don't know what happens in Asian countries, but what if (for example) it was a Police sting and the drugs were planted by an unknown person..at least the person who contacted the police has (hopefully) cleared themselves.

 

[kpc]

I don't think it would matter if the officer denied planting the drugs or not, because no-one would contact the Police if they were somehow involved with the drugs in the first instance. I don't know what happens in Asian countries, but what if (for example) it was a Police sting and the drugs were planted by an unknown person..at least the person who contacted the police has (hopefully) cleared themselves.

When my neck is on the line literally, "hopefully" may be not enough.

As to serfty's post above, that is fine if there were clear instructions as to what to do with the box if found, but hopefully if it was me, the instructions were in English as well, not just Japanese. In some Asian countries, possession of drugs is proof enough of guilt, and if you have over a certain amount, that is proof that you are trafficking the drug with its associated mandatory death penalty....anywhere, it's all speculation anyway, but I'm still surprised the officer involved got away with just a reprimand when he apparently knew it was not the correct procedure.

 

[Bandicoot]

:shock: Outrageous! Negligent! Incompetent! Unbelievable! It won't be the bozo customs officer or his bosses who get shot. They should be sent to a Bangkok prison for a month to teach them a lesson

 

[munitalP]

Im sorry but - doesn't anyone see the funny side of this?

I'm kaking myself laughing about this - imagine getting home to find a "stash" in your luggage with "Property of the Police" marked on it!!!

I know for me - straight to the local supermarker to stock up on chocolate, candy, a slab of coldies, some good movies and of course a couple of packs of rolling papers

Im still laughing! This is sooooooo freaking funny my sides are hurting - the look on the persons face as they opened their bag to find the stash - priceless!!!

OMG - Mastercard - make a new ad!

Sorry all, I'm usually mose sensitive to the reality than this - maybe I should get rid of my samsonite hard and get a suit case with pockets - never know my luck!

WARNING Dont try this if your last name is Corby....

 

[medhead]

Can't believe that they do this with a random passenger's bag who isn't told or involved by customs. As said previously, you would think that they either -

1. Have a customs official in casual clothes
2. A specially tagged bag for testing

Or have a customs officer follow the bag all the time and tell the poor passenger what was going on.

One possible problem with these suggestions is that the dog might just be reacting to the smell of the special bag or the customs officer.

Of course, that doesn't mean this isn't crazy stuff.....

 

[Flashback]

WARNING Dont try this if your last name is Corby....

 

[JohnK]

Im sorry but - doesn't anyone see the funny side of this?

I'm kaking myself laughing about this - imagine getting home to find a "stash" in your luggage with "Property of the Police" marked on it!!!

There is no funny side if you were transitting NRT or were there for a few days and did not notice the package and your next stop was BKK, SIN, KUL, CGK etc....