Japanese Customs Official Causes BUD Bungling!!

ISO2BWELL

I took this article from a Travel Agents web site...seems they aren't afraid to share their opinions, too! (see last lines).

If I thought this would become a normal practice (Customs guys planting bud - then forgetting BUD...in your bags) I might fly more often!

*************************************************

Big in Japan: $10,000 worth of marijuana gets misplaced by customs official at Tokyo-Narita airportby Matthew Firestone May 26th 2008 @ 10:00AM

There are a million reasons to hate flying in the post 9-11 world. From rising fuel surcharges and increased airport delays to overzealous security agents and declining airline quality, spending some time at home isn't such a bad idea these days. Of course, if you want to encourage consumers to help stimulate the flailing airline industry, why not reward them with copious amounts of sweet and heady ganja?

Are you ready for this one...

According to customs officials at Tokyo-Narita airport, the main international gateway serving Japan, an unwitting passenger arriving accidentally received 142g (approximately 5 ounces) of pure cannabis after a customs test went sour. Believe it or not, a Japanese customs officer hid the huge sack of weed in a side pocket of a randomly chosen suitcase in order to verify the quality of their airport security.

However, the drug-sniffing dogs were unable to find the hidden parcel, and the customs official (who may have been sampling a bit of the contraband) could not remember which bag he put it in! Like all drugs in Japan, marijuana is highly illegal, which means that a quantity of this size is estimated to have a street value of around $10,000 or 1,000,000 yen.
Anyone finding the package has been asked to contact customs officials immediately.

The man behind the botched operation is one Mr. Manpei Tanaka, who serves as the head of customs at Tokyo-Narita airport. In typical Japanese fashion, Mr. Tanaka was extremely humble about the entire affair: "This case was extremely regrettable. I would like to deeply apologize."

Of course, honorable words aren't going to make the situation any easier on the absent minded customs official as it is illegal to conduct tests on a passenger's bag.

According to Mr. Tanaka: "I knew that using passengers' bags is prohibited, but I did it because I wanted to improve the sniffer dog's ability. The dogs have always been able to find it before... I became overconfident that it would work."

So far there have been no reports of anyone uncovering the missing weed stash, though customs officials are confident that it will be returned to the airport within the next twenty-four hours.

While a good number of people in North America tend to have a relaxed attitude towards smoking a bit of reefer from time to time, the Japanese are extremely averse to drugs of any kind. And, while the massive baggy of pot is extremely valuable, it is hard to buy and sell drugs in Tokyo without arousing suspicion.

So, I guess this brings up the simple question: if you were to discover some serious herb while unpacking your suitcase, what would you do with it? Feel free to chime in and share your thoughts with the rest of us!
(Special thanks to Julie Mac for sending this awesome bit of news my way!!)

** All images are courtesy of the WikiCommons Media Project. Also note that Gadling does not condone the smoking of marijuana unless it happens to be really kind bud. **

**********************************************

__________________



.

knottyd

I could only wish to be that person..I just hope the person wasn't leaving the country and gets popped in another country and tries to explain that they don't know where it came from.

__________________
I may say or do things to get you to like me, that includes lie, cheat and steal. So i'm going to appoligize now if somethings I say or do turns out to be a lie. I may lie, cheat, and steal..BUT I WOULD NEVER BREAK THE LAW!!!!

ISO2BWELL

LOL...couldn't ya just see that?????????????

Customs Official: "Excuse me...but WHY are you bringing 5 ounces of marijuana into our country?"

Traveler: "Sure...Mr...I'm 86 years old and never smoked anything...someone must have PLANTED it there!"

Customs: "We hear that all the time. I hope you LIKE Turkish prisons!"

That would suck, big time...but damn...if it got through, and you got to your hotel room then opened your bag to find.... 5 happy oz's!

ISO

__________________



.

jangel

** All images are courtesy of the WikiCommons Media Project. Also note that Gadling does not condone the smoking of marijuana unless it happens to be really kind bud. **

**********************************************

LOL! Toooo much! I love the last line!

Once in my youth, (yes, in the stone age!) Myself and several friends drove down to Orchard Park,NY. to watch a Stones concert. Before leaving Canada we picked up a couple of friends at the airport that flew in from Chicago. They had been through customs once that day and had been body searched. NONE of us had anything on us (nothing apparent that is, other than in body cavities!) when we reached the border. There where 10 of us in a station wagon and another car full of friends. Of course, we got searched. The customs official pulls out a small bag of pot out of one of the friends that had just flew into Canada that morning. From his jacket pocket which was in the back of the wagon. WE knew we did not have drugs. What to do? All we got was a hundred buck fine, and each of us chipped in 10$ bucks and on our way we went. The border police strip searched us all, deep knee bends etc. We where pretty lucky! And good thing we all had good muscle tone!!!! LOL! Had a VERY good time, kind of slid back to Canada after, can't remember that part, I think I slept the whole way!

__________________
Life,
j-angel


My Little Grow LST'ing w/Hardware

My Outdoor Odyssey 2008 BONSAI MUMS

Cloning a Flowering Plant My Little Grow Blueberry

talisman

"So, I guess this brings up the simple question: if you were to discover some serious herb while unpacking your suitcase, what would you do with it? Feel free to chime in and share your thoughts with the rest of us!"

It's a sad thing to say but in this crazy world today, a bag of bud found in my luggage I would have to give it a serious look. I think the custom agent helped himself and needed a cover story.

J-angel, I believe the border agent kept your $100 as well. Oh by the way, teenagers asked to do naked deep knee bends for custom agents creeps me out. That comes from a Dad of teen daughters. I know it was a loooong time ago but eew.

__________________
When I die I want to go like my grandfather, peacefully in his sleep. Not yelling and screaming like the other passagers in his car.

jangel

Yup, I am sure they did. It was several officers involved and female border guards that searched the girls, males did the males. We where all scared and ****en bricks, afraid we where going to jail. This was in the early 70's I guess. we where sooooo happy to just have to come up with the money! I am sure there was cold sweat on all of us.

If I found money on the street or a wallet, I would look for the owner. Same with jewlery. Pot? Hey, no lost and found for that!!! What do you do? Put an ad in the paper and say "Lost Ganja ~ only claim if you can give a smoke report!" ?

__________________
Life,
j-angel


My Little Grow LST'ing w/Hardware

My Outdoor Odyssey 2008 BONSAI MUMS

Cloning a Flowering Plant My Little Grow Blueberry

ISO2BWELL

I never unerstood the "fine" thing...just makes no logical sense.

Lets see here...you did something wrong, and had possession of the Evil Marijuana Buds (Gawd Forbid!) and as a result they FINE you.

So, we give them $$ and that makes everything all right, and they are happy and let us go on our merry way.

No logic in that, at all. I just don't see the relationship, from the legal standpoint. Usually, doesn't it work that we give them the $$, and they give you the "stuff"? (if I recall from High School as I don't buy on the street).

What a deal...he TAKES your "stuff" and then asks you to give him $$$, too????

That is NOT a "good trade"! NAFTA says there is FAIR TRADE between countries. If he took your $$ he damn well shoulda given you some Dank Bud in exchange!

ISO

__________________



.

the.fatman.cometh

Due to paranoia of getting busted, i would stay in my hotel room until it was all smoked..........

__________________

jangel

It was the U.S. border guard too. Canada had to let us back cause we where all Canadian except our friends from shy town. One was born in Canada though, but dual citizen. Brothers.

Wonder what they would do now? I bet they got a LOT of kids that weekend with the concert. And the same pot trick! People where coming from all over the country.

__________________
Life,
j-angel


My Little Grow LST'ing w/Hardware

My Outdoor Odyssey 2008 BONSAI MUMS

Cloning a Flowering Plant My Little Grow Blueberry

jangel

LOL! Ya got my vote! Better not be a non-smoking room though!

4:20 sounds good........BRB!!!!!

__________________
Life,
j-angel


My Little Grow LST'ing w/Hardware

My Outdoor Odyssey 2008 BONSAI MUMS

Cloning a Flowering Plant My Little Grow Blueberry