From this BBC report, News of the Weird:
An unwitting passenger arriving at Japan’s Narita airport has received 142g of cannabis after a customs test went awry, officials say. A customs officer hid a package of the banned narcotic in a side pocket of a randomly chosen suitcase in order to test airport security. Sniffer dogs failed to detect the cannabis and the officer could not remember which bag he had put it in.
Officials are asking anyone who finds the marijuana to please step forward. (surprise!) Japan has strict drug laws and possession of this amount could lead to prison time. (I hope the suitcase was incoming to Narita. If the passenger was en route to, Singapore?, it could be nasty.) The customs official who planted the pot knew it was against the rules to do so. He had become overconfident in the sniffer dog’s ability and wanted to give it a greater challenge.
Big oops.
Update: Police called passengers on the plane. A business man had the drugs – and hadn’t noticed them in his bag. Recovery complete.
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