The US Navy is probing allegations of drug trafficking against several crew members deployed aboard the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan in Japan, Japanese media reported.

"We take all reports of misconduct seriously, and are working with the appropriate Japanese law enforcement agencies," Kyodo News quoted a navy official as saying.

According to the report, US officials are investigating suspected drug use and drug trafficking by the crew.

"The investigation is in the initial stage and it was not immediately clear what type of drug was used and the number of people involved," the Japanese news agency indicated.

The latest announcement echoed a similar incident in 2018 where Japan probed a US Navy sailor who was deployed to the Ronald Reagan carrier for allegedly smuggling narcotic drugs by international mail.