{
  "id": 14944076,
  "title": "5 caught at Tokyo airport knew they were carrying drugs, says Bukit Aman",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/5-caught-at-tokyo-airport-knew-they-were-carrying-drugs-says-bukit-14944076",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T10:52:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/10/16/5-caught-at-tokyo-airport-knew-they-were-carrying-drugs-says-bukit-aman"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Malaysian couple detained with 5 kilograms of cocaine at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on October 10 is believed to have enlisted three friends to serve as drug mules while on vacation in Japan, according to Bukit Aman CID director Hussein Omar Khan. The police suspect that all five individuals were aware of the drugs they were carrying, having been handed pairs of shoes filled with narcotics by a syndicate. The Sarawakian couple arrived in Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) before traveling to Tokyo, where they were each compensated RM8,000 to serve as drug mules and bring the shoes into Japan, as reported by Utusan Malaysia. According to Hussein, all five participants had clean criminal records, and investigations are ongoing to determine if they had previously acted as drug mules in other countries. He cautioned Malaysians against accepting offers to travel abroad and urged the public to ensure their belongings are not utilized by syndicates for drug smuggling. The five Malaysians were apprehended at Haneda Airport for attempting to transport approximately 5 kilograms of cocaine, valued at 120 million yen (RM3.1 million), hidden beneath the insoles of their shoes. Each suspect allegedly possessed 1 kilogram of cocaine, with 500 grams concealed within the insole of each shoe, according to a previous report by Fuji News Network.",
  "summary": "Federal CID director Hussein Omar Khan says a couple invited their friends to help smuggle cocaine hidden in shoes.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "5 caught at Tokyo airport knew they were carrying drugs, says Bukit Aman",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/5-caught-at-tokyo-airport-knew-they-were-carrying-drugs-says-bukit",
        "published": "2026-10-16T10:52:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "‘They were aware’: Bukit Aman on five Malaysians held in Tokyo with cocaine in their shoes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/they-were-aware-bukit-aman-on-five-malaysians-held-in-tokyo-with",
        "published": "2026-10-16T10:58:48.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}