Japan unveils emergency measures against gold smuggling

November 8, 2017

TOKYO- Japan's Finance Ministry on Tuesday announced a package of emergency measures in response to a surge in gold smuggling amid higher prices and following the consumption tax hike from 5 percent to 8 percent in April 2014.

About 90 walk-through metal detectors will be set up for arriving passengers at major airports by the end of fiscal 2017, while more X-ray baggage scanners will be installed.

Special investigation teams will be launched at customs stations in Tokyo, Osaka and other locations.

The maximum fine for gold smuggling, currently at 10 million yen, will be drastically raised through a law revision as early as fiscal 2018.

The number of gold-smuggling cases in the year through June jumped 1.6-fold from the previous year to a record 467, with evaded tax amounts totaling a record 870 million yen, up 1.4-fold, according to the ministry's Customs and Tariff Bureau. Jiji Press