Tokyo---Toyota's highest-ranking female executive was arrested at a Tokyo hotel on Thursday for allegedly importing a painkiller that is illegal under Japan's strict drug laws, reports said Thursday.
Julie Hamp, a US citizen, was detained after customs agents last week found 57 tablets containing oxycodone in a parcel sent to her, according to reports by the Asahi newspaper and public broadcaster NHK.
Hamp, 55, said she did not believe she was committing a crime, the reports said.
Toyota apologised for "causing a flutter", according to Kyodo news agency, adding that they were confident that an investigation would reveal that Hamp had no intention of breaking the law.
Police suspect the pills were for individual use, Kyodo reported.
Hamp was promoted to head of communications for the auto giant earlier this year -- making her one of the company's most senior non-Japanese executives -- after previously working at Toyota's North American division.
Oxycodone is designated as a narcotic drug in Japan but can be prescribed by a doctor for use as a pain reliever.
Japanese drug laws ban some medications commonly available in other countries while jail time for possession of illegal narcotics such as cocaine or methamphetamine is not uncommon.
AFP
