CHIBA, Japan — An Australian woman accused of smuggling amphetamines in a suitcase appeared in a Japanese court on Monday, nearly two years after her arrest, saying she was innocent and had been tricked into carrying them as part of an online scam.

Donna Nelson of Perth, Australia, was arrested at Japan’s Narita International Airport, near Tokyo, when customs officials found about 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of the stimulant, or phenylaminopropane, hidden in a double-bottom suitcase on who wore it.

Nelson, 58, said he received the suitcase from an acquaintance of a man he met on social media and brought it from Laos to Tokyo as instructed. She was supposed to meet the man in Japan, but he never showed up, according to prosecutors.

She was arrested on the spot and later charged with violating customs and incentive control laws. She has been in custody for almost two years.

Monday’s trial comes just weeks after recent payment of an 88-year-old former boxer, Iwao Hakamada, who has been on death row for nearly half a century for wrongful murder convictions. The case has reignited concerns about Japan’s closed-door investigative processes and lengthy trials.

Nelson, in a brief statement at the Chiba District Court near Tokyo, said she did not know the drugs were hidden in the suitcase and was carrying them for a man she thought she loved.

Prosecutors acknowledged the case was related to a romance scam, but charged Nelson with drug smuggling, claiming he knew the contents of the suitcase.

Nelson entered the courtroom escorted by a pair of uniformed guards who removed her handcuffs and a rope from around her waist as she took her seat for arraignment. She looked repeatedly at her daughters who were seated in the audience.

It was an emotional moment for her and her family to see each other for the first time since her trip two years ago. Her daughters said they believe their mother is innocent.

One of Nelson’s daughters, Kristal Hilaire, said she wants the court to know her mother is a good person.

“She thought she was coming to Japan for her love story. She had no intentions other than that. And that’s what everyone needs to know and hear in court this week,” Hilaire said.

The daughter added that the family is “just trying to be strong because when mom closes her eyes with us, I want her to feel our strength and that she will feed off of that.”

During Monday’s hearing, Nelson’s attorney, Rie Nishida, said her client was the victim of a romance scam and that “her trust and love was taken advantage of.”

Nishida said customs officials’ limited English ability led to mistranslations and the allegation that Nelson knew what she was carrying.

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AP video journalist Mayuko Ono contributed.