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Gold smuggling into Japan on the rise

TOKYO (TR) – With the price of gold soaring and the number of tourists visiting Japan on the rise, the number of gold-smuggling cases is rapidly increasing.

The number of such crimes sagged during the COVID-19 pandemic. That trend no longer exists, reports Kyodo News (Jan. 24).

In some cases, overseas criminal groups are recruiting couriers locally with “illegal part-time work.” As tactics have become more sophisticated, such as powdering gold into small pieces and hiding it under clothing, customs officials have strengthened border control measures,

Last September, a Chinese man and woman arrived at Haneda Airport from Hong Kong. When officers from the Tokyo Customs Haneda Customs Branch investigated, they found that they had hidden about 2.6 kilograms of powdered gold in the wig they were wearing.

When questioned by customs officials, the woman explained, “I heard that I could make money by bringing gold into Japan.”

A Chinese man and woman were found with powdered gold in a wig upon their arrival at Haneda Airport in September (X)

Number of gold smuggling cases was up 81 percent between January and June of last year

Between January and June of last year, the number of gold smuggling cases was up 81 percent compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, the amount of gold seized increased by approximately 8.1 times over those same six months, according to Japan Customs.

Satoshi Manabe, deputy director of the Tokyo Customs Investigation Department, says that many of the perpetrators are recruited by smuggling groups that utilize social-networking sites.

The fact that possessing gold itself is not illegal makes it attractive to criminal syndicates. “Compared to drugs and other things, it is easier to get involved because people are less likely to feel that they are participating in a crime,” Manabe says.

The motive is simple.

According to customs laws and other regulations, when importing gold, an amount equivalent to the consumption tax must be paid at Japan Customs. If gold is smuggled and then sold domestically, the consumption tax amount can then be earned as profit.