Back in Perth, but still behind bars: Donna Nelson returns after nearly four years in Japan

After 1,388 days (almost 4 years), Perth grandmother Aboriginal health advocate and former Greens candidate Donna Nelson has returned to Western Australia following an international prisoner transfer from Japan.

Nelson, who was sentenced to 6 years in prison for attempting to import almost two kilograms of methamphetamine into Japan, arrived in Perth on Thursday night, 22 October 2026.

She has since been transferred to Bandyup Women's Prison, where she will serve the remainder of her sentence.

Her return was confirmed by Australian media on Friday, with ABC News reporting confirmation from official Japanese sources.

From a romance scam to a Japanese prison

Nelson was arrested at Japan's Narita International Airport on 4 January 2023 after customs officers discovered approximately 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed inside her suitcase.

Nelson maintained throughout her trial that she had been deceived by a man she met online, who called himself Kelly.

The pair began communicating in 2020 and developed what Nelson believed was a romantic relationship.

According to evidence presented during the proceedings, the man arranged for Nelson to travel to Japan via Laos, where she collected a suitcase supposedly containing samples for his fashion business. She was expecting to meet him in Japan.

Instead, customs officers discovered the concealed drugs and Nelson was arrested.

Court accepted scam account but upheld conviction

In December 2024, the Chiba District Court sentenced Nelson to 6 years imprisonment and imposed a fine of 1 million yen.

The court accepted Nelson had been caught up in a romance scam but found she should have recognised the suspicious circumstances surrounding the request to transport another person's suitcase.

Nelson maintained she did not know the drugs were concealed inside.

She appealed the conviction, but the Tokyo High Court upheld the decision in September 2025.

The following month, Nelson abandoned plans for a further appeal and her family turned its attention to securing an international prisoner transfer.

What happens now?

Australia's International Transfer of Prisoners Scheme allows eligible people convicted overseas to serve the remainder of their sentences in their home country.

The process requires approval from the relevant governments and the prisoner. Importantly, a transfer does not overturn a conviction or automatically result in release.

Nelson is now serving her sentence in Western Australia, where she can receive family visits without the international travel previously required.

A confirmed release date has not been publicly announced.