
A Japanese finance ministry employee lost documents containing the personal data of 187 suspected drug smugglers during a night out with colleagues, local media report. The unnamed employee allegedly consumed nine glasses of beer over a five-hour gathering in Yokohama on February 6. According to reports, he only realized his bag was missing after disembarking from a train in Sumida. The finance ministry has issued an apology, acknowledging that the incident “significantly undermined public trust,” as reported by public broadcaster NHK.