A drug-detection dog’s action led to the arrest of a 37-year-old Spanish national in Japan after the dog found 16 kilograms of marijuana inside the man’s suitcase on September 20.
In a joint statement on October 11, the Narita Branch of Tokyo Customs and the Narita International Airport Police Station announced the arrest of the Spanish national, Carlos Rao Quesada, for his attempt to smuggle marijuana.
According to Yahoo Japan, the suspect smuggled the marijuana from Bangkok, Thailand. And it was reportedly wrapped in three layers of compressed plastic bags, probably to avoid detection.
However, Momotaro, the two-year-old Labrador-Shepherd drug-detection dog, sniffed the marijuana at the Narita International Airport’s baggage inspection area and sat in front of the man.
TBS News reports that the marijuana that Quesada smuggled has a street value of about 80 million yen (around $530,000 USD).
Furthermore, Tokyo Reporter reveals that upon Quesada’s arrest on suspicion of violating Japan’s Cannabis Control Act for smuggling, he admitted to the allegations saying, “I intended to use it myself or sell it at bars and clubs in Tokyo.”
Japanese news outlets are applauding Momotaro’s incredible sniffing and drug-detection skills, calling the arrest “Momotaro’s accomplishment”.
The Narita Branch of Tokyo Customs revealed that the amount of marijuana Momotaro detected is the second-highest among airline passengers at Narita International Airport over the past 20 years, second only to the 24 kilograms of marijuana seized in September 2023.
Yasumitsu Okada, head of the Narcotics Detection Dog Training Center, said, “We would like to continue contributing to the crackdown on illegal drugs.”