SHIZUOKA (TR) – Earlier this year, divers investigating a large cargo ship that was docked at Shimizu Port found a bag containing a large quantity of cocaine concealed around its bottom.
The case is further evidence that smuggling of illegal drugs into Japan is on the rise, reports Fuji News Network (Oct. 27).
The amount of seized cocaine weight approximately 20 kg, with a street value of approximately 500 million yen.
In July, divers from the Shimizu Coast Guard Office discovered the duffle bag containing the cocaine concealed at the bottom of the ship during an investigation conducted based on the vessel’s route from overseas.
The cocaine was hidden in a seawater intake located in the bottom of the ship, approximately 12 meters below sea level.
This smuggling tactic is known as the “parasitic method,” whereby drugs are smuggled by hiding them on the bottom of the ship without the crew noticing.
Before the ship’s departure, members of the smuggling group will dive into the sea and hide the drugs on the bottom of the ship. Then, once the ship arrives at its destination, they will dive back into the water to retrieve the contraband.
This is the second case of smuggling using this method to be uncovered in Japan.
Illegal drug smuggling cases are occurring one after another
According to the Ministry of Finance, Japan Customs investigated 531 illegal drug cases between January and June. The total amount of illegal drugs seized was 2,073 kilograms, representing the firs time the figure exceeded 2 tons.
The trend is ongoing. On Monday, a 61-year-old British man was indicted for attempting to smuggle approximately 30 kilograms of kakuseizai (methamphetamine) from the United States.
Experts point out that the situation is likely to become even more serious in the future.
Masayoshi Amemiya, the Director of the Forensic Science Research Center, explains “Smuggling methods are becoming more sophisticated, with smugglers using all sorts of cunning tactics, so there is a possibility that they will continue to increase. I don’t think we can deny that.”
