67-year-old British man dies in Japanese jail during imprisonment for smuggling drugs

In 2019, 67-year-old Frank Rodway of Salford was sentenced to nine years in prison. The man was caught in an airport in Tokyo, Japan with 2.1 kilograms of amphetamines worth at least £1m in his bag. Since his arrest, both the convicted man and his family kept claiming that he had been conned. Until his death, he denied prior knowledge of the contents of his bag. Just over a year since his sentencing last year, the man passed away in prison.

Without the knowledge of his family, Rodway had flown from the United Kingdom to Mali. He took the flight from Manchester to Mali via Casablanca, Morocco. Upon reaching Mali, he was directed to go to Japan. He had embarked on the journey after he received a mail informing him of a large inheritance he could claim. Japan was supposed to be the last stop where he would have to sign a set of papers allowing him to get £8m.

Instead of getting the windfall, Rodway was arrested after landing in Tokyo. His bags were searched and 2.1 kilograms of amphetamines with £1m street value were found in his possession. Eventually, his daughter Laura found out about her father's arrest.

Rodway told the court that he had no idea about the drugs in his luggage. As per the strict drug laws in Japan, the elderly man was sentenced to serve nine years in prison.

The Sun reported that since his arrest, Rodway became increasingly unwell. He had to be transferred to the hospital wing of the Tokyo Detention Centre. Before his death, he could no longer eat solid foods and relied on a feeding tube. His mobility was also limited as he required a wheelchair to get around. Laura felt that the Foreign Office failed to aid her father who had been a victim of the online scam. She pointed out that her father had diabetes and rarely travelled. Emphasising her father's innocence, the daughter said that he was the kind of man "who likes a pint, looks after his neighbour's dog and loves his garden."

Days before his 68^th birthday, the ailing man passed away in prison.

According to the Daily Mail, the body of the British man can be repatriated at the cost of £17k which his 46-year-old daughter has to shoulder. The cause of Rodway's death had not been revealed.