Pubdate: Thu, 01 Apr 1999
Source: Reuters
Copyright: 1999 Reuters Limited.

JAPAN POLICE SEIZE 210 KG OF STIMULANTS

TOKYO, April 1 (Reuters) - Japanese police on Thursday seized 210 kg
(462 lb) of drugs, the fourth largest haul of illegal drugs in the
country's history, police said.

The drugs, found concealed in cylinders in a warehouse in Sakai, near
the  central Japanese city of Osaka, were estimated to have a street
value of 13  billion yen ($109 million), police added. They did not
identify the type of drugs involved.

Police said three men had been arrested and charged with violating the
Stimulants Control Law. All denied the charges.

This haul brings the quantity of confiscated drugs this year to 650 kg
(1,430 lb), already surpassing the total for all of 1998, NHK national
television reported.

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