Marathon runner YouTuber arrested after trying to smuggle drugs into Japan
Popular fitness YouTuber Matthew Fox was arrested after attempting to smuggle THC tablets into Japan during his stay in the country for the 2025 Osaka Marathon.
At the time of writing, Fox’sInstagram profile— where he’s garnered over 23K followers — says he’s trying to run one marathon a month under two hours and thirty minutes… but this goal might be out of reach for the foreseeable future.
YouTuber arrested over failed THC gummy smuggling attempt
On June 17, 2025, Fox was arrested in Osaka, Japan, where he’d traveled to participate in the annual Osaka Marathon back in February.
His offense? The YouTuber had attempted to smuggle in tablets containing THC, the main ingredient in marijuana, into the country. Japan has very strict drug laws, with possession of even the smallest quantities of something like marijuana being illegal and punishable by jail time.
Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to put them in his luggage, Foxreportedly tried to have them shippedto Japan from the United States via a third-party courier service.
Fox has been open about traveling with THC tablets in the past, saying in a February 25 episode of his Sweat Elite podcast that he’s well-aware of Japan’s attitude toward marijuana, where recreational use of the substance iscompletely illegal.
“I travel with THC gummies, and most countries don’t care, but Japan is different. They tend to search you every time,” he saidin the podcast.
This isn’t the first time Fox has gotten into trouble during a stay in Japan. He was hit with a lifetime ban from the Ageo City Half Marathon in 2023 after being caught running under another person’s bib.
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In another turn of bad luck for the YouTuber, Fox also dropped out of the Osaka Marathon without finishing at 22 kilometers — just over half of the40-kilometer course.
A post shared by Matt Inglis Fox (@mattinglisfox)
Fox hasn’t been active on any of his social media accounts since the Osaka marathon, with his last YouTube video being uploaded 2 months ago, centering on the January 2025Houston Marathon.
Fox isn’t the only foreign influencer to get in trouble with the law while traveling through Asia as of late; divisive streamer Johnny Somali is facingyears of “mandatory” prison timeonmultiple criminal chargesdue to his behavior in South Korea, while fellow content creator Vitaly is also beingheld in police custodyin afterharassing locals in the Philippines.
