<figure id="attachment_408628" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 902px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-408628"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="6947e404"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/01/4cd3f2dafde2a628bcd7c6b64e5c8b0a.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-408628" class="wp-caption-text">The man of Mexican nationality who was arrested (the photo has been partially edited).</figcaption></figure>
From behind his long hair, his vacant eyes peeked out. In a photo taken by our magazine’s photographer during his transfer, the suspect continuously lowered his head, showing a dark expression.
On January 9, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police&#8217;s Drug and Firearms Control Division arrested 33-year-old Mexican national, Sainz Valenzuela Fernando (his address and occupation are unknown), on suspicion of violating the Stimulants Control Law (importing for profit). He is alleged to have conspired with others in February of last year to smuggle a large amount of methamphetamine hidden in maritime cargo. It is believed that he was involved in the smuggling of the drugs from Yokohama Port in Kanagawa Prefecture to Japan.
&#8220;The crime took place between February and March of last year. The method was dynamic&#8230; Inside two large machines called gearboxes, used for lifting containers with cranes, methamphetamine wrapped in bags weighing from 500g to 1kg was packed tightly.
The large machinery containing the methamphetamine was stored elsewhere for a while. In August of the same year, it was moved to a warehouse in Noda City, Chiba Prefecture, where Fernando and others are said to have dismantled it. The extracted methamphetamine was then handed over to a Brazilian distributor (who has already been arrested and indicted).&#8221; (Reporter from a national newspaper’s social department)
<h2>Connections with anti-social forces.</h2>
The Tokyo Customs, suspicious of the large machinery brought into Yokohama Port, discovered the methamphetamine hidden inside. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police launched an investigation and arrested Fernando, the suspect, in the act as he appeared at a warehouse in Chiba Prefecture for dismantling the machinery. The total amount of methamphetamine smuggled was 157 kg, with an estimated street value of 10.3 billion yen.
Fernando is believed to be linked to a Mexican drug cartel, although the Tokyo Metropolitan Police has not confirmed or denied this. Tahei Ogawa, a former detective with the Kanagawa Prefectural Police and a crime journalist, provides his insight.
&#8220;Not only did they transport a large amount of methamphetamine by sea, but they also arranged for storage locations and a warehouse for dismantling. Given the smooth coordination, it’s likely that they have connections with anti-social forces within Japan. The smuggling method is extremely bold. Normally, drugs are concealed in small bags and hidden in bags or similar items when brought into the country, but to hide them inside heavy machinery is unprecedented.
To inspect the inside of the machinery, it would need to be dismantled, making it hard to detect the drugs hidden inside. I believe the customs authorities had probably been monitoring suspicious machinery for some time. Drug cartels often use unexpected methods for smuggling. Changing smuggling tactics frequently is one of their characteristics.&#8221;
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police are also investigating the domestic distribution route of the smuggled methamphetamine.
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Smuggling 157 kg of methamphetamine...33-year-old man, &quot;horrifying true face&quot; photo"></div>
<figure id="attachment_408633" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1017px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-408633"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="d8b2da86"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/01/52e05cecfb90303c5342e3cfc10f20d8.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-408633" class="wp-caption-text">The large machinery, which is said to have been dismantled with methamphetamine packed inside (the photo has been partially edited).</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_408635" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1711px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-408635"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="e7e7c4f0"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/01/ca3552a387852aa7371c361e34540466.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-408635" class="wp-caption-text">It is believed that a Mexican drug cartel is involved (the photo has been partially edited).</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_408634" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2001px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-408634"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="9323119d"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/01/6b403c264b1678d48679672cccf839a4.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-408634" class="wp-caption-text">He conspired with a Brazilian distributor and others (the photo has been partially edited).</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_408636" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1474px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-408636"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="864e45d2"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/01/6ae0105a4e71a9fc950f452fea7b7726.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-408636" class="wp-caption-text">The police have not clarified the suspect&#8217;s admission or denial (the photo has been partially edited).</figcaption></figure>
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 Shinji Hasuo

 A Mexican national was arrested for smuggling methamphetamine weighing 157 kg with a terminal value of 10.3 billion yen. The suspect was involved in smuggling methamphetamine weighing 157 kg, with a terminal value of 10.3 billion yen, into the country in a large heavy machinery filled with wrapped bags of methamphetamine. An expert analyzes the criminal's overly dynamic criminal technique.

157kg of Meth Seized in Heavy Machinery at Yokohama Port

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