Donna Nelson's Drug Trial Unfolds in Japan

Donna Nelson, a 58-year-old grandmother and Indigenous community leader from Perth, is on trial in Japan for allegedly attempting to smuggle nearly two kilograms of methamphetamine. Arrested at Narita International Airport in January 2023, Nelson claims she was deceived by a man she met online, known as 'Kelly', who allegedly tricked her into carrying a suitcase with hidden drugs picked up in Laos. Her family, including five daughters who flew to Japan for her trial, assert her innocence, describing her as a victim of a romance scam. Nelson, who was previously a Greens candidate and chair of a West Australian Aboriginal health service, has not communicated with her family since her arrest. Her trial is taking place at the Chiba District Court, where her defense argues she believed the suitcase only contained clothing samples for Kelly's business.