Busted for Drugs In Japan.

[Pachipro]

Part 1:

This is pretty detailed as I'm sure many of you might like to know exactly how one gets treated by the Japanese Police and what the process is like when one is busted for drugs in Japan. Therefore, it will be in about three parts. I think you'll find it quite interesting and I hope informative.

This occurred in May 1987. I was, at the time, the owner and operator of an English school that I ran out of my rented five room condominium in a condo complex (also known as a danchi) in the Yokohama suburb of Totsuka. Since land speculation was running rampant and housing prices were going through the roof, my wife and I knew we would never be able to purchase our own house or condo. So we had decided to sell the school and return to the US sometime late the following year in 1988 and start a new life. A 3LDK "mansion" (condominium) that cost about US$70,000 in 1985 was now going for about US$180,000 in 1987 and was steadily climbing.

I was, at that time, partaking in the illegal hobby of buying and smoking hashish and marijuana. I didn't deal in it, and never smoked it during the day unless it was a day off. I used the reward system and only smoked it at night when my day was done. I just purchased it now and then for personal use.

There was a place in Yamato City not far from the Atsugi US Navel Air Base where "Gaijin" (those not in the service), US Navy personnel, and Japanese got together to enjoy hard rock music and a few beers and pizza. It was a very small place and the owner was a Japanese musician of about 30 who played in "live" houses most weekends and dealt the weed and hash on the side. We used to even smoke it in the kitchen of his bar.

Well, he got busted in 1986 and swore to all of us that he didn't turn anybody in and we believed him as no one was busted. Then a short time later an American English Teacher, whom I didn't know, also got busted. His face and the story were in the newspapers. Then a few others got busted a short while later including a couple of Japanese and a couple of US Navy personnel. Well, this is getting pretty hot I thought, so I didn't purchase anything for three months. I just used what little stash I had left and stopped going there so often on the weekends.

One night I was down to my last piece of hash. It was about the size of a really small 'edamame" (soy bean). I thought I was being smart at the time, but stupidly, I decided not to smoke all of it that night and just did half of it. I smoked just enough to give me a buzz and saved a small piece for the following night. Later on I went to bed. Remember, I was teaching out of my home and had over 100 students from that apartment complex. I should also mention that my wife's parents didn't know we were married as her father hated me and the fact that his only child was with a "gaijin".

The next morning, at around 8:30am, I was awakened by three Japanese men in business suits standing over my bed telling me to get up. You can just imagine my shock at this. It’s a feeling I cannot put into words, but just imagine if it happened to you and you’ll have some understanding of just how I was feeling. "What the f...," I thought. I jumped out of bed and put on a pair of sweat pants trying to wake myself up and wondering just what the hell was going on here.

They escorted me into the living room where two other suited men were sitting with my wife. She was all confused wondering what the hell was going on. (She never smoked the stuff). They proceeded to explain, very politely, that they were detectives and were there because they knew I had marijuana. They flashed their ID like they do on TV and showed me a "Search Warrant". I instantly thought of that little booger I left to smoke and knew I was busted. I wanted to cry and secretly prayed that this was just a bad dream. They asked me where the marijuana was and I told them I didn't know what they were talking about. They then, very politely, said that if I did not produce it they would tear my house apart. And if they did that, I knew they would find it. Hell, I had it in a film can sitting 2 feet from where they were sitting. All the while another detective was opening drawers, looking in cabinets, etc. Just like on TV!

My Japanese was fairly fluent which seemed to impress them, as their English was not all that good. There was, however, one young detective who spoke English fairly well. I guess he came along as the interpreter. This detective was with me through the whole process in case there was something I didn't understand.

Now I was really scared. It's amazing how a million thoughts can run through your mind in about a second. "There goes my school"; "I'll be kicked out of Japan and never allowed to return again like Paul McCartney"; "I'll probably go to jail"; "My name and face will be in the papers and I'll lose all my students"; "Even if I'm allowed to stay no one will hire me". "My wife's father will disown his only child and probably kill me"; "My wife will divorce me"; Maybe I can make a rush for it and eat it.” No matter what the outcome, I knew I was finished in Japan, the place I had come to love for 15 years.

I then told them I had to pee (so I could think) and was escorted to the bathroom by two of them and had to do it in front of them. They probably thought I would throw it down the toilet or try and escape or something. When I returned they proceeded to question me further all the while being very polite and formal and never raising their voice. My wife even served them tea! How Japanese!

After about another 15 minutes of their questioning and my debating with myself, I decided to give in to the inevitable and produced it. One detective (the highest ranking one) smelled it, looked it over, and rolled it in his fingers. He then asked me where the marijuana was. I told him I didn't have any. At first he didn’t believe me, but I guess he eventually did as I told him that if I was giving him this I would give him all that I had.

He then opened his briefcase and took out what looked like a little laboratory kit and a little electronic scale. He weighed the piece, wrote down and said that it was, get this, 0.0125 grams! Now you'll understand just how small this piece was! He mixed a few liquids together in a small test tube and said that he was going to take a very small piece and put it in the liquid. If it turned purple (maybe blue, I don't remember), he said that it was confirmed to contain the ingredients of hash. He carefully cut off a piece so small I couldn’t believe it, put it in, closed the lid and shook it. I prayed with all my heart that it wouldn't turn purple. It did. He then asked me if I had a doctor’s prescription to have this substance. I told him I didn't.

He then proceeded to tell both me AND my wife that we were BOTH being arrested for the illegal possession of a banned drug. I pleaded with them to not take my wife also as she was completely innocent and this was just my thing. They politely said that they couldn't do that and would have to take us both to the police station. My wife shot me a glance that, if looks could kill, I would be dead on the spot. I deeply felt sorry for her. There was no reading of my rights or anything of the nature that a person from the US is used to hearing. In fact I knew right then and there that, here in Japan, I had no rights when one is arrested.

I was escorted to the bedroom to change and we were told to take some extra clothes, underwear, and toiletries as we wouldn't be coming home that night. I was refused permission to make a phone call to let my best friend know what was happening and for him to call all my students and cancel my classes for that night. Little did I know that I wouldn't be coming home for 2 weeks and my wife for 1 week!

They took out their handcuffs and I asked them if they could not put them on as I knew there would be housewives outside talking or that someone would see us being escorted away in handcuffs. I said that this was my business and livelihood and I would lose everything if someone saw me being escorted away in handcuffs. They talked among themselves and decided that yes, they could do that. Since they were in plain clothes I thought no one would be the wiser as I usually had businessmen coming to the apartment for English lessons. I asked them if there were any police cars outside and they said that there were none and that they came in plain cars. Whew!

We were escorted out of the house and, miracle of miracles, there was not a single housewife outside. There was absolutely not a single person in sight! I glanced up and around and not a single house wife was hanging out clothes on the balconys of the five story "danchi" or anything! This was really too good to be true. Those that do live in Japan and maybe live in a "danchi" know that there ARE ALWAYS a couple of housewives outside talking or hanging out clothes or bedding, especially in the morning after the kids go to school. We were each put in separate cars and we proceeded to the police station.

I must add here that these Japanese detectives were as polite and formal as could be. Not once did they raise their voice, were impolite or arrogant, nor did they do a search of the place and tear it apart. I guess they believed me and they had what they came for. Neither I nor my wife was mistreated in any way during the initial phase of this experience.

To be continued......

[Park]

Great story. I am looking forward to reading the rest.

[Bucko]

Crikey. When's part 2 coming?

[ArmandV]

Will Part 2 be a Japanese version of "Midnight Express?"

[mad pierrot]

Thanks for sharing Pachipro, I look forward to hearing the rest.


You should get some of this published!

[GaijinPunch]

We were escorted out of the house and, miracle of miracles, there was not a single housewife outside.

You sound very happy about this. Did this make it all okay?

I am anxious to hear about the rest, although I'm pretty sure I know how the next two phases turn out.

[Park]

Even at this point in the story it seems like your anxiety alone was enough to atone for a little bit of hash. I had anxiety just reading it, but I enjoyed it.

One small thing, you said that you had an edamame sized piece of hash. I am 20 years out of the drug scene but if I remember right, that is a fair bit. Am I remembering right that it is enough to send a party of four to Jupiter?

BTW I actually had two guys come to my door at 1 a.m. just because I put cans in with the non-burnable.

[Pachipro]

Quote:
We were escorted out of the house and, miracle of miracles, there was not a single housewife outside.

Originally Posted by GaijinPunch

You sound very happy about this. Did this make it all okay?

I am anxious to hear about the rest, although I'm pretty sure I know how the next two phases turn out.

It did not make it all ok. It was just that I was relieved that no one witnessed us being taken away as someone may have easily put 2 and 2 together:
Housewife #1: "I wonder why there are no classes tonite. Nobody called to cancel the classes."
Housewife #2: "I don't know. But I did see them getting into seperate cars with some men in suits. Maybe they were the police and were arrested."

After a few days of not showing up at home someone may have inquired. I was secretly hoping that if I could somehow get out of all this with no one knowing what happened that I may still have my school and students and be able to sell it as we planned. If anyone knew I was arrested, word would spread and they would all quit.

Originally Posted by Park

Even at this point in the story it seems like your anxiety alone was enough to atone for a little bit of hash. I had anxiety just reading it, but I enjoyed it.

One small thing, you said that you had an edamame sized piece of hash. I am 20 years out of the drug scene but if I remember right, that is a fair bit. Am I remembering right that it is enough to send a party of four to Jupiter?

BTW I actually had two guys come to my door at 1 a.m. just because I put cans in with the non-burnable.

Oh yes. You couldn't imagine my anxiety. All I thought about was the embarrassment, losing my school, going to prison, maybe getting banned from the country, being forced to move because of it, having my wife divorce me and her parents finding out we were secretly married and forcing her to divorce me or disowning her. So many thoughts were running through my mind, but the biggest thought was realizing how stupid I was. I guess I really became complacent with not getting busted and doing it so often during the 15 years leading up to this incident. I guess I thought I was immune.

I did say that it was similar to a "small edamame." Thinking about it, even a small edamame is quite large. And it would send a party of four to Jupiter. You are correct. I should've thought about that, used a better word, and edited more carefully. At 0.0125 grams you can imagine how small it was. I would say it was about half the size of a small pea. What was left would give one person maybe two hits. That's how small it was.

Originally Posted by Bucko

Crikey. When's part 2 coming?

Hopefully tomorrow.