Aussie drug arrests surge

THE number of Australians being arrested in Japan for drug offences increased by more than 170 per cent in one year, new government data reveals.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade helped 19 Australians arrested in Japan for drug offences in 2017-18, with the same number of Aussies also finding themself in handcuffs in China for similar reasons – a 58 per cent increase over the period.

For the first time, Japan was also in the top five countries where Australians are arrested and detained, a result of the nation’s strict law enforcement and its increasing popularity as a holiday destination, DFAT said.

One such Australian on the wrong side of the law in Japan was former AFL star Brian Lake, who spent about a week in a Japanese jail in July after a reported bar scuffle.

He was released without charge.

DFAT’s State of Play report says 1671 Australians died overseas during the year, with illness, natural causes and accidents claiming most lives.

Thailand and the Philippines topped the list of countries where most Australians died, a result of more older people travelling and retiring to the locations, DFAT says.

More than 1540 Australians were arrested and detained over the year, with the majority in the US, Thailand and China.