Australian Woman Denies Drug Smuggling Charges in Japan

Donna Nelson, a 58-year-old Australian woman, has appeared in a Japanese court nearly two years after her arrest for allegedly smuggling approximately 2 kilograms of amphetamines in a suitcase. Nelson claims she was tricked into carrying the drugs as part of a romance scam involving a man she met online, who she believed was waiting for her in Japan. Arrested at Narita International Airport, she faces charges for violating stimulant control and customs laws. The trial follows the recent acquittal of Iwao Hakamada, an 88-year-old man wrongfully convicted of murder, raising concerns about Japan's investigative processes. While prosecutors link her case to the scam, they assert that Nelson was aware of the drugs' presence. The court proceedings were emotional, with Nelson's family expressing their belief in her innocence as they reunited for the first time since her arrest.