What a University Student’s Drug Possession Arrest Reveals About Today’s Drug Trade

A large quantity of drugs found in a rental car in a Shibuya parking lot

On October 28, a young man stepped out of a police vehicle upon arrival at the Harajuku Police Station. Surrounded by detectives and detention officers to prevent escape, he walked with his head down, moving exactly as instructed by the officers. His pale face, mostly hidden by long bangs, was visible for just a moment—It was the suspect.

A university student from Osaka was rearrested for possessing large amounts of dried cannabis and cocaine with the intent to sell.

On October 29, the Metropolitan Police Department announced the rearrest of Togo Inoue (22), a university student from Ikuno Ward, Osaka City. He is suspected of violating the Narcotics Control Act for possessing approximately 70 grams of dried cannabis and 4 grams of cocaine for profit at his home in Osaka on August 5.

“Acording to the police, Inoue conspired with a friend from the same university (who has been indicted for the same law violation) and used social media to recruit customers, conducting drug sales mainly in the Kansai region.

Back in April, the friend was questioned by police in a parking lot in Shibuya Ward. Inside the rental car he was driving, officers found a large amount of drugs—including cannabis, LSD, stimulants, and cocaine—and he was arrested. When he told investigators, ‘A friend recommended it as a way to make money,’ Inoue’s involvement came to light.

Since August, Inoue has already been arrested three times on suspicion of storing stimulants and other drugs for profit in coin lockers in Tokyo, as well as for using cocaine himself. From his home, police seized tools for measuring and dividing drugs, syringes, and eight smartphones believed to have been used for transactions. He has reportedly remained silent during questioning.” (social affairs reporter)

The police are investigating under the assumption that a larger drug-trafficking organization may be behind Inoue. In recent years, many university students have been arrested for drugs such as cannabis—like the 2023 Nihon University football team case. However, it’s unusual for a case to be reported as widely as Inoue’s. With repeated arrests for use, possession, and this time possession with intent to sell, authorities may be treating the case as particularly serious.

We asked former narcotics officer Yoshitsugu Takahama for his view.

How Drug Distribution Practices Have Drastically Changed

“It’s likely because this case is unusual in that a university student possessed a large quantity of drugs for the purpose of selling them. Seventy grams of cannabis and four grams of cocaine are far beyond what an average user would carry, and stimulants and LSD were also found in the related incidents. Normally, even if someone possesses drugs, it’s usually no more than one or two types.

The number of cannabis users is increasing, and nowadays anyone can easily buy and sell drugs through social media or encrypted messaging apps like Telegram. So it’s not surprising that amateurs get involved to make some pocket money. But the only ones who can supply this much of multiple kinds of drugs are organized groups such as criminal syndicates. Also, the method of hiding drugs in coin lockers and other places outside the home isn’t something an amateur typically does. It seems likely he was receiving advice from someone more professional.”

According to Takahama, the actual structure of drug trafficking has changed dramatically compared to the past.

“In the past, both stimulants and cannabis could only be bought from organized crime groups, and almost every trafficking case involved gang members or people around them. Amateurs were extremely rare. That changed in the 1990s when Iranian nationals began serving as street dealers, making drugs more accessible to the general public. With advances in communication tools and the internet, amateurs can now buy and sell drugs easily. While the sources of supply—organized crime and other antisocial groups—haven’t changed, the ones doing the buying and selling are amateurs. This case clearly highlights that reality.”

In an age where anything can be purchased online, drugs have become a much more familiar and accessible presence.