Police raided Toyota's Japan headquarters in Tokyo and Nagoya on Tuesday, a week after the Oxycodone arrest of an American woman executive who is the automotive giant's chief communication officer and a managing officer.
Julie Hamp, 55, was arrested on suspicion of importing the pain killer into the country, reported
The Associated Press. Authorities said the drugs were sent in a package that also contained jewelry which was mailed to herself.
While Oxycodone is a legally prescribed painkiller in the United States,
the drug is listed as a narcotic in Japan and is tightly controlled.
Ryo Sakai, a Toyota spokesman, told the AP that the company could not comment on the raids because of an active investigation.
"We will continue to cooperate fully with the investigation," another Toyota spokesman, Scott Vazin, told
USA Today in an email. "We are refraining from commenting on any related matters while the investigation is still ongoing."
Hamp's arrest highlights Japan's tougher drug laws. Authorities could hold her for up to 23 days without bail and she could receive 10 years in prison if guilty.
The U.S. State Department said Japanese prosecutors have a 99 percent conviction rate.
At the time of her arrest, Toyota officials announced they were standing behind Hamp,
according to Automotive News.
"Toyota has been made aware of Ms. Hamp's arrest but has no further facts in light of the ongoing investigation by the authorities," Toyota spokesman Shino Yamada said in an emailed statement earlier this month.
"We will continue to cooperate fully with the investigation. We are confident, however, that once the investigation is complete, it will be revealed that there was no intention on Ms. Hamp's part to violate any law," said Yamada.
Hamp served as chief communications officer and senior vice president, communications and consumer relations for PepsiCo. before joining Toyota,
per her Toyota biography. She was a member of PepsiCo's executive council and foundation board of directors and led a global team of more than 350 communications and consumer relations professionals.