CHIBA (TR) — Customs officials at Narita International Airport are sounding the alarm over a rapidly increasing smuggling trend: passengers hiding massive quantities of powdered gold inside their bodies using contraceptives, reports Nippon News Network (Apr. 24).
Between January and March, Tokyo Customs at Narita Airport intercepted 33 cases of gold smuggling, seizing approximately 46 kilograms of the precious metal. An overwhelming 30 of those cases involved gold in a powdered form, weighing in at roughly 45 kilograms with an estimated market value of 1.2 billion yen.
According to authorities, smugglers pack the powdered gold into contraceptives, such as condoms, and insert them into their bodies to bypass airport security. In one instance, a single passenger was discovered with a staggering 2.7 kilograms of gold hidden internally.
All of the intercepted powdered gold arrived on flights originating from Hong Kong. The suspects — 22 of whom were women — are predominantly middle-aged and older individuals.
The sharp rise in this underground operation — up from 23 cases totaling 31 kilograms last year — is being driven by soaring global gold prices fueled by international instability. By slipping the metal past customs, smugglers aim to evade Japan’s mandatory consumption tax, pocketing a lucrative margin upon resale.
Faced with the influx, Narita Customs has deployed advanced metal detectors and intensified both physical body and baggage checks. Authorities remain highly vigilant, suspecting that organized crime syndicates are orchestrating the operations behind the scenes.
