Each suspect allegedly carried roughly 1kg of cocaine, with 500g concealed in each shoe.
Cover image via NHK
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for the latest stories and breaking news.
Five Malaysians have been arrested in Japan for allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine concealed beneath their shoe insoles
The suspects were passing through customs at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on 10 October when Japanese authorities discovered approximately 5kg of cocaine worth around 120 million yen (RM3.1 million).
The massive haul is believed to have originated from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
The scheme unravelled when customs officers flagged one of the suspects for suspicious behaviour
An initial search revealed the hidden drugs, prompting officials to track down and detain the four other individuals travelling with the suspect.
NHK reported that each person carried roughly 1kg of cocaine, with 500g concealed in each shoe.
A digital trail led investigators to the Telegram messaging app, where one suspect claimed they were offered RM8,000 to transport the drugs
Tokyo metropolitan police are investigating the possible involvement of a Malaysia-based criminal syndicate.
The suspect told Japanese authorities that they had simply been handed a pair of shoes containing the drugs and told to wear them for the journey.
Last month, Indonesian authorities detained five Malaysians at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport for allegedly smuggling 5kg of etomidate in their shoes. The Jakarta incident followed the July arrest of a Malaysian pilot at the same airport.
The pilot was caught for allegedly smuggling 25kg of ecstasy pills, totalling over 70,000 tablets, into the country.
FOLLOW SAYS