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Hi everyone!

I've been away for a little more than 3 months, here is the reason:

In late july, i asked my friend to send me some Hashish in a parcel from Denmark. He was going to visit me, and we were going to have some fun.

We have done it a few times before, with no problem.

On the 29 of July, at 6 o'clock in the morning 15 police officers and customs agents came to arrest me.

My nightmare started.

After 93 days in prison, 40 of which was in isolation, i got out on bail (2 mill yen) last friday. i have my last trial on friday, and i hope and pray for a suspended sentence (likely).

As an European i've grown up with the impression that smoking weed is not that "bad"

However, Japan don't seem to share that view!

 

This incident have had big costs for me and my family.

 

Luckily i still have my wife, whitout love, i would not have made it.

 

To whoever reads this, PLEASE think twice before you break the law in Japan, they are not joking!

 

ATB

Thunderpants

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Thunderpants buddy that really sucks, you took a risk you got caught, but the excessiveness of the arrest and detention seem very heavy handed indeed. Who did they think they were nabbing? Pablo Escobar???

15 officials? must have been a quiet morning or a few of the boys have wanted to be in on the "lets bust a gaijin" arrest. On the otherhand it wouldnt surprise me if that was entirely normal for everyone.

How were your bosses at the foundry? can you go back to work there?

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 Quote:
Originally posted by Thunderpants:
To whoever reads this, PLEASE think twice before you break the law in Japan, they are not joking!
You should write an anon letter to the major Gaijin publications like the Kansai Time out and warn all the players out there of the real perils.
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That sucks to hear mate. You always hear about these kinds of horror stories from friends of friends about this guy who sent hash through the mail and... ends up in jail. Are they going to deport you? What about your visa/job/etc...

 

Can you tell more about what happened over the past 3 months?

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Thanks everyone for your answers!

I still feel quite sad about the whole thing.

I am going to tell my story to everyone who is interested. My wife has got a lot of support from other people who have been thru the same. I will try to help as well as i can!

My wife has been FANTASTIC, strong, supportive and

loving! i owe her my life!

My wife is japanese, and i have permanent visa, so we'll stay, for now at least.

My boss came to court to witness on my behalf. He is an old fasioned guy, but told the court that he was willing to give me another chance.

 

My father in law came up with the bail money.

 

The local "Ikan" wass full, so i stayed at the police station the whole time, for you who don't know what ikan is, read here This is NOT my story though!

 

 

Everyone involved in this case has treated me nice, i can't complain about other than an unfair law, that was close to ruining my life.

 

I still have scars on my soul, im mentaly and physicaly weak, and i have becommed addicted to sleeping medicine that the police doctor gladly gave away (BIZARRE!!) and i cannot sleep

 

but i have love and support.

 

I will fight the law, not break it!

 

Don't do like me, do as i tell you ;\)

 

ATB

Thunder

 

PS. i will post a link as soon as i have written the whole story

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The Japanese legal/penal system is badly in need of reform. It's severe and brutal at best.

 

But that said, you tried to smuggle drugs into the country. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING??? You say you have permanent residency in Japan, and obviously have access to a computer - surely you've read stories like your own many times before?

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Japanese system is hard though most here should know of the penalties if they are caught. So if you get caught its kind of bad luck for you (if you are guilty, coz you too the risk). Those that aren't guilty are often aren't given the chance to prove otherwise..

 

Thunder pants, what quantity are we talking about?

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I can't read that all now but that sounds very sad situation. People must be careful, of course. Surely that is very rare case.

 

But anyway in this case of like Thunderpants, he of course knowingly did the unlawful thing, and so he cannot blame anybody but themselves.

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 Quote:
Originally posted by taguchi:
If you don't break the law, it doesn't matter how severe and brutal it is because you have absolutely nothing to worry about.

(That does not mean I think it is ok now, I also think too severe)
Taguchi but plenty of do break the law and get away with it( you may even be guilty yourself). Just look at the patheticness of the drink driving laws. ZERO tolerance but you will never get busted! Yet you are more of a danger to someone being a drunk driver than possesing a a gram or 2 of illegal substances.
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But he did something that surely he know was illegal. And he got caught. He cannot complain that if got caught for breaking law then he might be punished for it. I just don't have sympathy with it, thats all.

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Thanks for telling your story Thunder.

 

You see more sniffer dogs at the airports now, so I think the authorities are getting a bit more clued up.

 

Some gaijin are very nonchalant about the risk and certainly the consequences of getting busted here, so it's good to get this kind of story out there.

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 Quote:
Originally posted by Mr Wiggles:
You see more sniffer dogs at the airports now, so I think the authorities are getting a bit more clued up.

Some gaijin are very nonchalant about the risk and certainly the consequences of getting busted here, so it's good to get this kind of story out there.
Mr. Wiggles, I agree with your last comment. Some people here are lured into some sort of "I am above the law" kind of attitude while living here.

Nagoya has always had the dogs & being a gaijin you can be sure that you will be asked to stop and be sniffed. I haven't been sniffed in Tokyo but Nags is a tiny airport and it's almost impossible to miss them.
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 Quote:
Originally posted by Indosnm:

Nagoya has always had the dogs & being a gaijin you can be sure that you will be asked to stop and be sniffed. I haven't been sniffed in Tokyo but Nags is a tiny airport and it's almost impossible to miss them.
Indo, do you mean that police have used dogs to sniff/check you while youre walking down the street or at the airport? Surely its the latter right?
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Sorry to hear about your misfortune Thunderpants and bigups for bravely telling us your story. You are just a good person who has fallen foul of a rediculous law. As for anyone trying to lecture this man about how he shouldn't have broken the law and only has himself to blame, I think that's pathetic. Thunderpants has already paid up far more than is reasonable for his 'victimless crime'. Look after yourself and keep fighting the power Thunderpants.

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Who is trying to lecture him?

I'm not, who is?

 

All I saying is just I have no sympathy.

 

So I'm not sure why that might be "pathetic".

 

Do you know this person? Is that why you call him a "good person" and "brave"? Or is he a good person and brave because he brought drugs into Japan? To me, that is very strange.

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Thanks for all the replies!

 

taguchi, i did something that was illigal, there is no excuse for it. i'm 100% guilty, and should have respected japanese culture!

 

I smuggled 6 grams of hash, and got caught with another 3.4 grams of weed. I am writing my story on this forum to warn other people, not to get your sympathy!

 

I should have thought about what i did, My arrest hurt many people.

 

My crime itself hurt no one, not even myself.

 

I will from now on try to be active in fighting the Hemp Control Law (by legal means) i will not EVER again break the law here.

 

I think it is cruel that an end user of a relativly harmless drug is being punished so hard, while violence cases are being closed after only 10 days often ending vith a 150.000 fine in smaller cases.

 

Drunk driver cases are more or less same story with a fine of 300.000 yen.

 

But i got out just in time for the season \:\)

 

ATB

Thunderpants

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 Quote:
Originally posted by linalmeemow:
But that said, you tried to smuggle drugs into the country. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING???
I was NOT thinking. (just like all the other people who makes mistakes)

that is the whole point, and my mission with this tread is mainly to warn other people against being as silly as i was.
I do not wish for anyone else to make the same mistake.
If we over time can broaden the discussion it is fine with me.
My "letter case" is not the first one, and sadly it is not going to be the last.
I hope that it will be the last among SnowJapan users, and if so, i have achieved something!

ATB
Thunderpants
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