NEWS

Australian Perske arrested in Japan on cocaine charge, police officials say

By Associated Press
Published on
Australian professional golfer Wayne Perske has been arrested in Japan on suspicion of cocaine possession. The 36-year-old Perske was allegedly carrying 1.25 grams of the drug in his pocket at a bar in an area east of Tokyo on Friday night, a Japanese police official said Saturday. Perske told investigators he intended to take the drug himself, the official said, adding that the golfer was still being interrogated. In Japan, possession of illegal drugs can carry a penalty of up to seven years in prison. Perske, who is from Brisbane in Queensland state, turned professional in 2000 and has played mostly in Japan over the past decade. He qualified for the 2006 British Open at Royal Liverpool, where he failed to make the cut.