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Pop singers Jill Vidal  and Kelvin Kwan Chor-yiu  could be jailed for five years and barred from Japan after they were arrested for possessing cannabis  in Tokyo last Tuesday.  
Vidal and Kwan were  arrested in the Dogenzaka shopping area, in the Shibuya district of Tokyo, Japanese media reports said.
 Vidal, 26, a British passport-holder, and Kwan, 25, a Canadian passport-holder, were arrested at 1am and accused of possessing cannabis, which is illegal in Japan.
Shopkeepers in Dogenzaka called Shibuya police saying  a foreign man and woman were trying to steal goods. 
When police searched Kwan, they found  cannabis concealed in a packet of cigarettes. 
Kwan allegedly told police he brought the drug from Hong Kong. Vidal denied any criminal behaviour, saying she had no idea the packet contained cannabis, Kyodo News reported.
Japan has severe  penalties for drug-related offences. The 1948 Cannabis Control Law calls for prison terms of up to 10 years and hefty fines for anyone found importing, exporting, growing, selling or buying cannabis.
The penalty for possessing small amounts, deemed to be for personal use, is up to five years' jail.
A first-time offender could receive a suspended sentence, the Japan Control Law Reform Centre  said.
Vidal and Kwan, who are reportedly lovers, were involved in anti-drug campaigns organised by the  Security Bureau  in New Territories North in 2007. 
 Kwan was also a school ambassador for occupational safety in a campaign organised by Occupational Safety and Health Council.  
A Security Bureau spokesman said they could not comment on individual cases, but added that they would carefully consider who they invited to participate in future anti-drug campaigns.
And following the revelation that  Kwan allegedly carried the drugs from Hong Kong, a customs spokesman said  the department's officers were deployed at control points to deter drug trafficking.  
Alan Tam Wing-lun, president of Hong Kong Performing Artist Guild,  said the incident, if true, would harm  the image of Hong Kong performers.  The guild would try  to find out what had happened and how serious the incident was, he said. 
Kwan is the godson of Canto-pop star  Tam.   Kwan's father works as a producer for Tam. 
Kwan's record label, Universal Music Hong Kong, did not offer any comment on the incident.  
Prominent singer Leon Lai Ming,  who runs  Vidal's music label,  said he had yet to speak to her.  
  Lai said the singer had been a role model for teenagers and his company did not accept performers who were involved in drugs-related offences.
 Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong  said yesterday that the government had always been very concerned about drug abuse. The government had to mobilise everyone in society - schools, parents and children - to fight the problem, he added. 
'We have to  foster a loving and caring culture to show our love and care to our young people,' he said. 
Mr Lee said the government had already put more resources into law enforcement agencies  to combat drug trafficking.
  David Cheung, a supervisor at the Caritas Lok Heep Club,  said teenagers would be very disappointed if their idols were involved in drug abuse. He suggested the singers apologise if found guilty.



Pop singers held for drugs in Japan