A 22-year-old Belgian student is in danger of ending up in prison in Japan for years because he had small amounts of drugs sent from the Netherlands. The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that the student’s family will receive consular assistance.
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In Japan, there are very long prison terms for drug imports, even for small quantities.
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According to reports in Japanese media, the student was arrested in Kusatsu, a port city on Lake Biwa in the Shiga region. He is suspected of importing drugs. In February of this year, for example, LSD was intercepted in a post office that had been sent by post from the Netherlands. A drug package containing 1 gram of MDMA was also found. This is a substance that is also in ecstasy pills and ensures a relaxed feeling.
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Strict regime
That relaxed feeling is hard to find in Japanese prisons. “Staying in a prison in Japan is usually very difficult: extremely strict regime, cultural isolation, very limited contact with the outside world (including post), very high language barrier,” the Belgian ministry warns on its website.
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It is not clear whether the 22-year-old Belgian is affiliated with a Belgian university, and to which one. KU Leuven has information from about ten students residing in Japan, but according to a spokesperson, none of them have a clear link with the city of Kusatsu.
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The universities of Ghent and Antwerp say they currently have no students residing in Japan.
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