Toyota to work with police over arrest exec's dope case: president

Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda on Friday apologized for the company's first female executive, who was arrested over suspected dope case, and said Toyota will work with police to investigate the case, adding that he believes she has no intention to violate the Japanese law.

"We believe that the investigation will find that Julie Hamp did not have an intention to violate the law," Toyoda said at an urgent press conference held at Toyota's Tokyo headquarters, adding the 55-year-old is a key figure to help boost the company's global strategy.

Hamp, who was appointed as Toyota's first female managing official on April 1, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of mailing oxycodone, which is considered as illegal dope without prescription in Japan, from an airport in U.S. Kentucky State.

Local reports cited investigative sources as saying that the 57 pills were in a package sent to Hamp from the U.S. airport and was declared as necklace, adding that the pills were placed in the package in several bundles, with some contained in an accessory case and a paper bag.

According to Japanese law, to bring oxycodone into Japan, a medical certificate from a doctor must be submitted to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for approval and the drug cannot be imported by mail, said Japan's Kyodo News.

Tokyo police is investigating who sent the pills to Hamp and how she intended to use them, said Kyodo, adding that Hamp has told the police she did not intend to import narcotics and demanded to see a lawyer. Endi