Skip to main content

Australian Male Arrested on Drug Smuggling Charges After Entering Japan for Osaka Marathon



On Apr. 9 the Kinki Region Bureau of Health, Labor and Welfare's Drug Control Division arrested Matthew Inglis Fox, 38, an Australian business owner of no known fixed address, on charges of violating the importation regulations of the Narcotics Control Act by smuggling tablets containing marijuana elements from the United States. The suspect had entered Japan in February to run in the Osaka Marathon.

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of smuggling approximately 12 pills containing marijuana by sending them from a U.S. airport to Osaka's Kansai Airport using an international courier service on Feb. 19. The Osaka branch of the Customs Service discovered the tablets in arriving cargo and suspected them to be narcotics. Customs contacted the Narcotics Control Division, which then began its investigation of the case. According to the Narcotics Control Division, the suspect denies the charges. 

Translator's note: Fox, who received a lifetime ban from the Ageo City Half Marathon in 2023 for bib cheating, was a DNF in Osaka after going through halfway in 1:08:45.

photo © 2023 Itagaki.yo, all rights reserved

source article:

Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
Matt fox - never a dull moment 🤣
April 11, 2025 at 3:00 AM
Anonymous said…
Please keep us posted as the story develops.
April 27, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Anonymous said…
Any updates on where this story is?
June 10, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Brett Larner said…
I haven't seen anything else in the news.
June 11, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Anonymous said…
Must be out of shape by now
June 13, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Anonymous said…
He is posting on Strava now from Gold Coast, Australia and claims to have taken 4.5 months "off." Whether it's him actually posting is the big question...
August 8, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Anonymous said…
Why do you hate this guy so much Brett??? Did he... step pn your turf?
March 13, 2026 at 6:01 AM
Anonymous said…
The day Brett Larner finally realised he does everything for his own interest and is actually a sociopath, the day the sport will move forward
March 13, 2026 at 6:01 AM
Anonymous said…
Brett- why do you keep trying to ruin this guys life with your journalism?
March 13, 2026 at 6:26 AM
Anonymous said…
Fitlhy jew
March 13, 2026 at 6:26 AM
Anonymous said…
Holy shit you hate this guy 😂 didn’t he host you on his podcast when it suited you?
March 13, 2026 at 9:33 AM
Anonymous said…
Brett Larner is a complete fraud, letting only comments he believes in and narratives that suit him hit his website. Total fraud
March 13, 2026 at 9:33 AM
Anonymous said…
Plus he’s a Jewish clown
March 13, 2026 at 9:34 AM
Anonymous said…
Brett Larner - the most Jewish insecure little bitch in the running industry
March 13, 2026 at 10:01 AM
Anonymous said…
Brett Larner! Punch in the face required!
March 13, 2026 at 10:01 AM
Anonymous said…
According to Matt he reached out to you collaborate when he landed in Japan, hosted you on his podcast. What happened Bretty Boy?
March 13, 2026 at 10:02 AM
Anonymous said…
If Brett Larner gets a punch in the face here I don’t think anyone will be surprised. YouTube it
March 13, 2026 at 10:03 AM
Anonymous said…
Ohhh only certain comments get approved. Ohhhhh!
March 13, 2026 at 10:04 AM
Anonymous said…
Brett Larner - runnings most insecure old loser who only does things in his best interest. Jewish
March 13, 2026 at 10:11 AM
Anonymous said…
Is this guy ever be real journalist? Seems like an insecure old man trying to destroy peoples repetitions? Wasn’t he pretty nice to you before you went on your little crusade?
March 13, 2026 at 10:12 AM
Anonymous said…
Cancel culture? Brett Larner?
March 13, 2026 at 10:13 AM
Anonymous said…
Brett Larner wins the prize for runnings most insecure, ego fragile little bitch
March 13, 2026 at 10:32 AM
Anonymous said…
Why don’t you suck his sock while you’re at it?
March 13, 2026 at 5:06 PM
Anonymous said…
Bretty Larner - the guy who literally uses his platform as a weapon and then cries about others doing it on forums 😂😂😂 gotta be a filthy Jew
March 13, 2026 at 5:11 PM
Anonymous said…
What’s wrong Brett? Getting annoyed by the comments? Totally fine for you to make shit up and harass on forums but this not ok? Thought so!
March 13, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Anonymous said…
At this point I think you should consider proposing to Matt Fox
March 13, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Anonymous said…
Someone’s making a YouTube video about this guys journalism, gatekeeping of comments and general Jewish behaviour. It’ll be good
March 13, 2026 at 5:16 PM
Anonymous said…
The world would be a lot better off without fuckheads like Brett Larner trying to ruin people's lives.
March 13, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Anonymous said…
Bretty Boy - you need a big punch in the face.
March 13, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Anonymous said…
Never a dull moment with Brett Larner at the gate trying to protect his little fragile ego from content creators far better than him. The saddest thing about the crusade is- Matt was really nice to Brett before Brett decided randomly one day to want to ruin his life for literally no reason other than an mis communication with a bib. Crazy dude.
March 13, 2026 at 6:17 PM
Anonymous said…
People like Brett Larner really need a fist to the head to punch that jewish right out of them
March 13, 2026 at 6:18 PM
Anonymous said…
How do you sleep at night dude?
March 13, 2026 at 6:21 PM
Anonymous said…
If the internet is right - Brett Larner was invited on the sweat elite podcast, gladly spoke about himself, rejected Matt’s offer to collab, then Brett decided randomly to try ruin his reputation not once but twice. Seems a nice guy! 😂
March 13, 2026 at 10:58 PM
Anonymous said…
Brett Larner harassing people online? Would would have thought!?
March 14, 2026 at 8:22 AM
Anonymous said…
You’re a clown bud. Focus on helping the world, not ruining peoples lives who might have hurt your ego
March 14, 2026 at 9:53 AM
Anonymous said…
Filthy Jew
March 14, 2026 at 10:57 AM
Anonymous said…
Oh wow. Brett Larner doing great things for the sport.
March 14, 2026 at 2:44 PM
Anonymous said…
Hey Brett, we've come across some forum comments from you accusing Matt of using his podcast as a weapon. This isn't doing that (along with your other little love affair for him)? LOL
March 14, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Anonymous said…
Brett Larner surely knows a punch in the face is coming
March 14, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Anonymous said…
When are you going to propose to him? Cancel culture loser
March 14, 2026 at 10:18 PM
Anonymous said…
Filthy Jewish journalist
March 15, 2026 at 5:21 AM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Rui Aoki and Shunsuke Kuwata Making U.S. Debut at United Airlines NYC Half

When the National University Half Marathon was canceled in 2011 after the massive earthquake and tsunami struck northeastern Japan 2 days before the race, JRN talked to the New York Road Runners about bringing 2 collegiate runners to the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon the next weekend as a show of support. It wasn't possible to pull it together in the immediate aftermath of the disasters, but a year later we brought 2 young 2nd-years from Hakone Ekiden CR breaker Toyo University , Kento Otsu and Yuta Shitara , who had been the top 2 Japanese collegiate finishers at the Ageo City Half Marathon in November before Hakone. Shitara ran 1:01:48, at the time the fastest-ever by a Japanese man on U.S. soil, with Otsu running a solid 1:03:15. Thanks to that great start the Ageo-NYC partnership became a regular thing, and except for the pandemic it's continued every year since, expanding this year to June's New York Mini 10 km when 2 runners from Mt. Fuji Women's Ekiden runne...
2 comments
Read more

Kuwata Runs Fastest-Ever Half Marathon by Japanese Man Outside Japan at United Airlines NYC Half

When the NYRR changed the United Airlines NYC Half course back in 2018 to more or less its current Boston-style hilly one-way version it seemed like it had been repurposed from a fast course to something more tactical. That went out the window last year with new course records of 59:09 and 1:07:04 from Abel Kipchumba and Sharon Lokedi , and this year's results backed that up. Hellen Obiri ground Lokedi down and took over 30 seconds off her CR, winning in 1:06:33 with Lokedi only 6 seconds off what she ran in 2025 but a distant 2nd in 1:07:10. British road 10 km NR holder Megan Keith rolled up hard late in the race to finish 3rd in 1:07:13 less than 10 seconds off old CR too. The men's race saw a big group of 18 attack the hilly first half on sub-59 pace, American Joe Klecker leading through 5 km in 13:57 and Houston Marathon winner Zouhair Talbi through 10 km in 27:56. Right up in it was Shunsuke Kuwata , a 20-year-old 2nd-year at 2025 National University Ekiden champ Koma...
Post a Comment
Read more

16 Women and 26 Men on the Current Olympic Trials Qualifier List

Last weekend's Nagoya Women's Marathon and the Tokyo Marathon the weekend before brought the main part of the first year of qualification for the Marathon Grand Championship Race, Japan's L.A. Olympics marathon trials to be held in Nagoya in October, 2027, to an end. There are still a few races like the Nagano Marathon and overseas World Athletics platinum label races this season where people might qualify, but for the most part we're not likely to see many new additions until August's Hokkaido Marathon, where the qualifying period opened last year. As of right now 16 women and 26 men have qualified, although the first woman to make the cut, Ai Hosoda , announced that she was retiring after Tokyo earlier this month. Out of the 16 women to have qualified so far, Mikuni Yada is the fastest with her 2:19:57 debut at Osaka Women's in January. Including Hosoda that makes 2 qualifiers for the Edion corporate team, but Daihatsu has the biggest share of the field so ...
1 comment
Read more