Porno star Kaori Shimizu hopelessly failed her drug running test. Sultry and saucy, Kaori Shimizu had enjoyed a reasonably successful stint as a porn starlet before turning her attention to drug running.

Shimizu was arrested for breaking the Cannabis Control Law together with her 23-year-old host husband Yoshinori Nagai at Narita Airport on May 4 after they were found to allegedly be in possession of about 30 kilograms of hashish with a street value of 150 million yen.

A subsequent raid also picked up Junji Murakami and brokerage employee Yuichiro Iida, who face the same allegations as the one time stick flick star.

"Cannabis really reeks, so they tried to cover up the smell by putting loads of perfume in their suitcases," a police officer tells Asahi Geino.

It turns out the irregular pong caused by the mix of drugs and perfume that was emanating from their luggage drew the attention of customs officials, who were shocked to open suitcases belonging to Shimizu and her husband to find the dope in small plastic bags.

"Usually, a drug courier would at least use a false bottom in their suitcase, or take some steps to hide the drugs," a customs source says. "But this pair were really bad. They'd just left the drugs anywhere. It was easy to tell that they weren't pros."

Adult video industry figures are shocked at Shimizu's slip from grace.

"She's only petite, but has got a whopping set of boobs and a fairly nice body. She's famous for really going for it with her sex scenes. It's hard to believe she was running drugs," says Meatball Yoshino, a co-star in a handful of the 40-plus dirty movies Shimizu made from 1999.

Shimizu was widely regarded in the video business, never shunning assignments other girls would regularly turn down such as facial shots, picking up guys and simulated rape.

"Some girls hate the rape scenes, or won't let the guy go unprotected, but Kaori wasn't that strict and she performed oral sex without demanding the use of a condom," Meatball tells Asahi Geino.

Shimizu filmed her final AV flick in March this year, going out with yet another bang before turning her attention toward becoming a stripper.

"I heard she quit the movies because of her marriage," Meatball says.

Neighbors say the 24-year-old Shimizu and her host hubby appeared the picture of marital bliss.

"I often saw the wife riding her bicycle down to the local stores," a neighbor tells Asahi Geino. "About a month ago, I saw her go into her apartment getting along well with a blond guy."

Hubby's friend, Murakami, is blamed for leading Shimizu down the path to the drug world.

"Murakami was one of her husband's Kabukicho host buddies. Murakami appears to have asked the Shimizu couple to become drug couriers. We're still looking into how these three became acquainted with the broker, Iida," a police source says.

Shimizu apparently enjoyed playing around with hosts until she finally snared one as her husband. Some suggest it was this penchant for pretty boys that led to her being nicked with narcotics.

"Loads of hosts have got porno actress girlfriends," a teen-age host in Tokyo's trendy Roppongi district tells Asahi Geino. "Porn starlets are our first real customers who'll lavish us with 2 million to 2 1/2 million yen a month. The only birds who can afford that sort of dough are either brothel workers or stick flick actresses."