Jill Vidal and Kelvin Kwan

Hong Kong-based pop singers Jill Vidal and Kelvin Kwan were arrested in Tokyo for possession of marijuana, the Ming Pao newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The duo was reported by a salesperson for shoplifting in Tokyo's Shibuya shopping area on February 24. Police then searched Kwan's belongings and found a small amount of marijuana. Kwan later confessed that he brought it from Hong Kong while Vidal claimed she had not been aware of the situation, the report said.

Kwan, 25, a nationalised Canadian and Vidal, 26, a British citizen, arrived in Japan on February 20 for a vacation. The two were both active promoting Hong Kong's anti drug campaigns, according to various reports.

The Japanese police authorities declined to reveal further details of the case.

According to Japanese law, possession and use of marijuana may be punishable by up to five years imprisonment and the penalty for drug smuggling is up to seven years. In 1980, English singer Paul McCartney was found with more than 200g of marijuana in his luggage when he arrived at a Tokyo airport. He was deported after spending ten days in jail and was told he was not welcomed in Japan again.

(CRI March 4, 2009)