31 March

Police in Japan say they will come down hard on cocaine after officers opened a record number of criminal investigations last year into the use, or trafficking, of the drug.

The National Police Agency says officers nationwide took action in 2018 against 197 people in 434 cases, including illicit sales or use of the drug. Both figures are the highest since record-taking began in 1959. 42 percent of those investigated by the police, or 83 people, are foreign nationals. Cocaine has a high-dependency risk. The stimulant's effects last only a short time, leading to repeated use in a single day. A large intake could result in death. Agency officials say one of the factors behind the increased use of cocaine by Japanese is the rise of visitors from overseas in recent years.

They plan to cooperate with customs and other agency officials to prevent the influx of cocaine from abroad. They also plan to strengthen its crack down on trafficking by introducing a device that can identify the substance on the spot.—NHK