TOKYO (TR) – The amount of illegal drugs seized by customs offices nationwide in the first half of this year was the largest on record, reports NHK (Sep. 24).
According to the Customs and Tariff Bureau of the Ministry of Finance, customs offices nationwide seized 2,073 kilograms of illicit drugs — including kakuseizai (methamphetamine) and cannabis — at airports and ports from January to June.
The amount represents an increase of approximately 33 percent compared to the same period last year.
The amount of marijuana seized was 1,332 kilograms, the largest total since statistics began and increase of more than eight times over the same period last year.
The jump was due to the seizure in June of over one ton of marijuana hidden in sea cargo from Vietnam.
Meanwhile, the number of seizures of illegal drugs has also been increasing. Over the same period, the number of seizures rose by approximately 6 percent to 531. The number of marijuana cases jumped by around 4 percent to 164.
