Overview

• Tokyo police arrested former Chiraxy head Toshiki Inoue, 39, on suspicion of violating the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act for possession for sale, which he denies knowing involved illegal ingredients.
• Investigators allege he held about 15 bottles totaling roughly 14.3 grams at stores in Tokyo’s Taito and Shibuya wards and a Kawaguchi warehouse on Oct. 10 and 22, 2024.
• About 9,300 products were seized in searches, and forensic reviews have detected banned cannabinoids in at least 1,000 items, with many goods believed to have been manufactured domestically by the company.
• Reports differ on whether the detected substance was THC or the compound THCOP, which became regulated as a designated drug in December 2024, leaving classification central to the case.
• Police say Chiraxy produced 1,017 bottles between February and October 2024 and sold them through three stores and online for about ¥10,900 each, and a 2023 in-store incident led to six people being taken to hospital after inhaling a sample.