Sunday, August 7, 2011

Noriko Sakai suspected of destroying evidence

type='html'>New information is constantly being released in the ongoing Noriko Sakai investigation. Some of the details from the past few days suggest that Sakai may have intentionally tried to hide or destroy evidence regarding her drug use before she turned herself in earlier this month.

A sample of Sakai's hair was recently sent for drug analysis. Police confirmed that it tested positive, though the results were still weak. But it was also revealed that before her arrest, Sakai had her hair cut, reducing the ability of the analysis to accurately determine her drug history. In addition, Sakai dyed her hair, which could have weakened the results by making the drugs more difficult to detect. Sakai has stated that she only began using the drugs last summer, but her husband Yuichi Takaso has said that they started about four years ago.

Police are also still looking for her missing cell phone, which Sakai claims she threw away because it was damaged and unusable. It is believed that the data on her phone, if recovered, will help identify the sources of the drugs.

Meanwhile, Takaso's latest testimony says that the last time he and Sakai used the drugs together was ten days before his arrest on August 3. They and their son had taken a trip to Amami Oshima in the Kagoshima prefecture between July 20 and 30 to observe the solar eclipse. According to Takaso, he had taken some drugs and straws along during the trip.

Takaso has already been formally indicted for drug possession, and is now facing a second charge after the discovery of additional drugs (97 milligrams) at a house in Chiba that belonged to him. It is still not clear whether Sakai will be indicted for the 8 milligrams found in her home, but police may be able to charge her with joint possession of the drugs found at the Chiba house.

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