Three members of HMCS Winnipeg were recently detained by Japanese authorities while the ship was conducting a port visit in Tokyo.
Two of the people are military members and one is a civil employee. All were detained for the alleged use of a controlled substance. Tokyo police have released one of the military members, while the other two have been charged with use of a controlled substance.
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) says it has a zero-tolerance policy for illicit drug use and possession.
“All of our personnel, military and civilian, are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that brings credit to the Navy, the Canadian Armed Forces, and our country as a whole,” said Rear-Admiral Gilles Couturier, Commander Maritime Forces (Pacific) in a release.
“Our personnel are held to the highest standards of professionalism and conduct, and are subject to all Canadian laws, the Criminal Code, and the Code of Service Discipline, which is part of the National Defence Act.
“These allegations are obviously troubling, and while it is too early to speak to the specifics of any actions or investigations at this point, I can state definitively that our response will be based on facts, and will serve to remind and reassure all who serve in the RCN that unacceptable behaviour, whatever its nature, has no place within our ranks.”
The Navy says it will work with Canadian Consular officials and Japanese authorities throughout this process.
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