{
  "id": 15152649,
  "title": "Sarawakian couple allegedly paid three friends RM8,000 each to smuggle cocaine into Japan, says Bukit Aman",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/sarawakian-couple-allegedly-paid-three-friends-rm8-000-each-to-15152649",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-17T07:37:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/10/17/sarawakian-couple-allegedly-paid-three-friends-rm8000-each-to-smuggle-cocaine-into-japan-says-bukit-aman/239467"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Sarawakian couple and their three friends allegedly conspired to smuggle cocaine into Japan, according to Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan. The trio were each paid RM8,000 and were reportedly aware they were transporting illegal substances, stated Hussein at a press conference on Friday. The couple had lured their friends on a purported holiday to Japan, providing each with a pair of shoes containing concealed drugs. Upon arriving in Tokyo, the five suspects were apprehended by Japanese authorities discovering 5kg of cocaine concealed in the insoles of their shoes. A sixth suspect, who managed to return to Malaysia, has also been identified. None of the five suspects had any prior criminal records, and authorities are investigating whether they had engaged in similar activities in other countries.",
  "summary": "KUCHING, Oct 17 — A Sarawakian husband and wife allegedly recruited three friends to traffic cocaine into Japan, s...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Sarawakian couple allegedly paid three friends RM8,000 each to smuggle cocaine into Japan, says Bukit Aman",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/sarawakian-couple-allegedly-paid-three-friends-rm8-000-each-to",
        "published": "2026-10-17T07:37:53.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}