Three Iranian Nationals Re-Arrested Over Manufacturing 450 Methamphetamine Tablets at Shizuoka Storage Yard
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.
Kanagawa Prefectural Police announced on September 30, 2026 that they had re-arrested three men on suspicion of violating the Stimulants Control Act through manufacturing for profit: a 42-year-old of no fixed address or occupation who identifies himself as an Iranian national, a 57-year-old Iranian national residing in Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and a 40-year-old Iranian national residing in Konan Ward, Yokohama. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun Online and other outlets, the three are accused of using a tableting machine to manufacture roughly 450 methamphetamine tablets for profit inside a container at a storage yard in Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture, between around September 2024 and October 2025.
A tableting machine and a mixer were seized from the container, and the group is believed to have mixed methamphetamine with additives before pressing it into tablets. The tablets reportedly bore the logos of well-known brands. The three were arrested in November 2025 on separate allegations, at which point roughly 40 kilograms of powdered and crystalline methamphetamine and a combined 40,000 to 50,000 tablets containing methamphetamine were seized from the container and from apartments linked to the case. Police believe the three were also involved in manufacturing those tablets. The 42-year-old is described as the group's leader, with the other two responsible for procuring equipment and storing and transporting the drugs.
Current status: Whether the three have admitted to the allegations, the distribution routes for the tablets, and whether others were involved remain unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
Editorial Perspective
No decision on indictment has been made at this stage, so this article reflects information from the investigative phase. An arrest is only one step in criminal procedure and does not establish guilt (the presumption of innocence). According to National Police Agency and Ministry of Justice statistics, the number of Penal Code cases involving foreign nationals visiting Japan has risen for two consecutive years since 2023, but remains below its mid-2000s peak (related article). A single case does not necessarily reflect the broader statistical trend; further developments are worth watching.