TOKYO -- Toyota Motor’s chief executive Akio Toyoda issued an apology today following reports of the sudden arrest of the company’s first female executive, Julie Hamp.

“I apologize for the confusion caused by recent events,” Toyoda said at a press conference that was hastily arranged following the arrest.

As a close friend of Hamp, the CEO also said he believes further investigation will reveal that “there was no intention on Julie’s part to violate any law.”

Toyoda and other officials said the company would fully cooperate with the authorities as the probe progresses.

Hamp was arrested on Thursday for attempting to smuggle illegal drugs into Japan, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan police this morning.

The police say on June 11, a package was delivered to Narita International Airport addressed to Hamp containing oxycodone, a pain killer that can be purchased in the U.S. with a doctor’s prescription.

However, the Japanese Health Ministry currently lists oxycodone as a narcotic and bans its entry.

Hamp is denying all charges.

The 55-year-old American executive was named chief communications officer and deputy chief officer of external and public affairs for Toyota’s Japanese headquarters in April. She was the first woman and foreign national to hold an executive post at a major Japanese company.

Prior to that, Hamp served as chief communication officer at Toyota Motor North America.

Toyoda said at the press conference that her arrest has not weakened his resolve to diversify the workforce to strengthen the firm’s global reach.

But industry watchers say the incident will most likely make a dent in the Japanese government’s latest policies for adding more women to the corporate executive payroll.

Meanwhile, Japanese police data shows that out of more than 13,000 individuals charged with drug crimes in 2014, 778 were foreign.

By Kim Ji-hyun Tokyo correspondent (jemmie2@heraldcorp.com)