Police in Tokyo have raided Toyota Motor Corp's headquarters there after a recently-appointed, America company executive was arrested on suspicion of drug law violations.
Julie A. Hamp DETROIT, MI - Police in Tokyo have raided Toyota Motor Corp.'s headquarters there after a recently-appointed, American company executive was arrested on suspicion of drug law violations, the Associated Press reports.
Julie Hamp, Toyota's global head of communications, was arrested after allegedly mailing herself oxycodone, an opioid-based prescription painkiller that is tightly regulated in Japan.
Hamp was arrested Thursday. Toyota president Akio Toyoda defended her at a press conference Friday, saying she had no intention of breaking the law, according to the Associated Press.
Japanese media has reported that authorities found oxycodone hidden in parts of a jewelry box in a package she airmailed to herself.
Hamp became Toyota's highest-ranking female executive in history when she was named global communications chief in April. She was previously communications officer for Toyota Motors North America.
Before joining Toyota, Hamp was chief communications officer and senior vice president, communications and consumer relations for PepsiCo. Prior to that, she was vice president of communications for General Motors' European region.
Hamp is a graduate of Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich., where she holds a bachelor's degree in communications. For graduate studies, the Queens, N.Y. native participated in the General Motors-Harvard Business School's Executive Development Program with an emphasis on Asian studies.
David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter