Argentinian woman arrested in Tokyo for smuggling cocaine

An Argentinian woman, Rosa Micaela Quipildor, was arrested at Haneda Airport in Tokyo after attempting to smuggle approximately one kilogram of cocaine into Japan. Customs officials detained the 30-year-old following suspicious behavior, and subsequent X-ray examinations at a hospital revealed 101 cocoon-shaped capsules inside her digestive tract.

The capsules, measuring roughly 5.2 centimeters in length, were double-wrapped in plastic and a black rubber-like material. The street value of the cocaine is estimated at approximately 24.24 million yen (over US$150,000).

During interrogation by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Quipildor admitted to acting as a drug mule. She stated that she was recruited by a woman she met at a festival in Argentina and was instructed to receive the shipment in Brazil before traveling via London to Tokyo. She claimed she was promised a payment of approximately US$7,000 for the delivery.

Japanese authorities are investigating the case to determine the extent of the involvement of South American drug trafficking organizations targeting Asian markets. Quipildor reportedly has prior legal issues related to drug smuggling attempts toward Thailand and Malaysia.