Three Arrested Over Suspected 215-Kilogram Methamphetamine Smuggling, but Nagoya Prosecutors Decline to Indict Any of Them
This article organizes publicly available information into a single account. Where it describes an arrest or an ongoing investigation, that reflects only one stage of criminal procedure and does not mean guilt has been established (the presumption of innocence applies). We will update this article as new information becomes available, including the outcome of prosecution, non-prosecution, or trial. This article is not intended to unfairly disparage any individual, group, nationality, ethnicity, or belief, and aims to provide objective, fact-based information.
On May 12, 2026, the Aichi Prefectural Police, the 4th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters, and the Tokai-Hokuriku Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare's Narcotics Control Department arrested three people on suspicion of violating the Stimulants Control Act (importation for the purpose of sale): Giri Krishna (37), a Nepalese national and company executive from Toyokawa, Aichi Prefecture; Bhandari Sagar (32), also a Nepalese national working as a temporary staff employee; and Mohammed Abed (50), a British national whose address and occupation are unknown. The three allegedly conspired to smuggle methamphetamine from the United Arab Emirates into Kobe Port between around January 26 and March 10, 2026. The seized quantity was estimated at approximately 215 kilograms, with a street value of about 11.4 billion yen, making this a large-scale case.
The methamphetamine is believed to have been smuggled concealed inside a shipping container.
Current status: On June 2, 2026, the Nagoya District Public Prosecutors Office decided not to indict Mohammed Abed or either of the two Nepalese men. Arrest to non-indictment (for all three). The reason all three were not indicted despite the large scale of the seizure — worth an estimated 11.4 billion yen — had not been disclosed as of this writing.
In methamphetamine smuggling cases, prosecutors sometimes decline to indict even when the street value is enormous, if it is difficult to prove intent — that is, whether the suspects knew what the smuggled goods actually were. The divergent outcome compared with an attempted methamphetamine smuggling case involving an Iranian national (related coverage) and a case in which an American university student was indicted for methamphetamine smuggling (related coverage) is worth examining as an illustration of how high the bar for proof can be.