Tokyo police arrested two American women on Friday for allegedly smuggling nearly $1 million worth of cannabis into Japan. The two women, both 25 years old, arrived at Tokyo's Haneda Airport from New York on Saturday with two suitcases that contained "cannabis-like dried plants," according to a police spokesperson speaking to AFP. The drugs were reportedly hidden in secret compartments inside the suitcases. Nippon TV broadcast footage of the seizure, showing more than a dozen packages containing the alleged cannabis. The dried cannabis weighed approximately 30 kilograms (about 66 pounds) and was valued at around 150 million yen, or roughly $970,000, according to media reports. One of the women reportedly told police she took the job for the money and was drawn to the opportunity to travel to Japan for free, as reported by Nippon TV. The other suspect denied knowing that cannabis was in the suitcase, according to the Tokyo Shimbun, citing unnamed police sources. Authorities said the two women had conspired with an unknown individual, and local media reported that they claimed to have received instructions from a man they met online but never met in person. The women were arrested on suspicion of violating Japan's drug and psychotropics control laws, as well as smuggling for profit, according to the police spokesperson. They are also accused of breaching two other unnamed laws. Smuggling cannabis for profit in Japan can result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to 3 million yen (about $19,500). This is not the first high-profile case involving drug smuggling in Japan. Last December, American playwright Jeremy O. Harris was arrested on suspicion of smuggling the psychedelic drug ecstasy. He was released three weeks later. Japan has strict laws against drug trafficking and possession, and enforcement is typically severe. Cannabis is classified as an illegal substance under Japanese law, and smuggling it into the country is considered a serious offense. The case highlights the risks involved in international drug trafficking and the challenges faced by law enforcement in intercepting such activities at major international hubs like Tokyo's Haneda Airport.