2021 Edition("White Powder and Black Firearms" Report)

Post Clearance Audit, Investigation andIntelligence Division
Customs and Tariff Bureau
Ministry of FinancePREFACE
Amid the expansion of international distribution and personnel exchanges accompanying
the further globalization of society, we are now facing greater risks of smuggling of goods
harmful to society, such as methamphetamine and other illicit drugs that threaten the safety
and peace of people's lives, guns and other terrorism-related materials, and goods infringing
intellectual property rights. These tendencies have been continuing even after dramaticchanges occurred in the distribution of goods and human movement due to the expansionof the COVID-19 infection, and the circumstances concerning the flow of goods harmful tosociety into Japan seem to have become even more serious.
Under such circumstances, Japan Customs and the Customs and Tariff Bureau of theMinistry of Finance position the prevention of goods harmful to society from entering Japan
at the border as one of the most important issues and are proactively promoting various
measures, including the enhancement of collection and analysis of information,
strengthening of cooperation with the relevant authorities, and further deployment the bordercontrol equipment, while making efforts to flexibly respond to the diversification of smuggling
tactics.
This booklet features smuggling trends in Japan and countermeasures being
implemented by Japan Customs, considering the importance of Customs controls at theborder against the smuggling of goods harmful to society. Through this booklet, we would
like to provide some insight for law enforcement officials, contribute to a better
understanding by the public about Customs' enforcement activities, and ask for their greater
cooperation with Customs.
Post Clearance Audit, Investigation and Intelligence Division,Customs and Tariff Bureau,
Ministry of FinanceCONTENTS
Ⅰ. TRENDS IN ILLICIT DRUGS SMUGGLING ____________________________________ - １ -１. Seizures of Smuggled Illicit Drugs _______________________________________ - １ ⑴ Methamphetamine ____________________________________________________ - ２ ⑵ Cannabis____________________________________________________________ - ４ ⑶ Narcotics ____________________________________________________________ - ５ ⑷ Designted Substances _________________________________________________ - ５ -２. Influences due to the Abuse of Illicit Drugs ________________________________ - ６ -Ⅱ. TRENDS IN FIREARMS SMUGGLING _______________________________________ - ８ -Ⅲ. TRENDS IN GOLD BULLION SMUGGLING ___________________________________ - ９ -１. Seizures of Smuggled Gold Bullion _______________________________________ - ９ -２. Mechanism of Gold Bullion Smuggling __________________________________ - １０ -Ⅳ. CUSTOMS CONTROLS AGAINST GOODS INFRINGING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTYRIGHTS ________________________________________________________________ - １１ -１. Import Prohibitions Regarding Goods Infringing Intellectual Property Rights __ - １１ -２. Seizures of Goods Infringing Intellectual Property Rights __________________ - １４ -

Ⅴ. CUSTOMS CONTROLS AGAINST SMUGGLING OF OTHER ITEMS _____________ - １５ -１. Smuggling Cases Involving CITES-listed Species _________________________ - １５ -２. Export Cases _______________________________________________________ - １６ -３. Counterfeit Credit Cards, etc. __________________________________________ - １６ -Ⅵ. INITIATIVES OF JAPAN CUSTOMS FOR PREVENTING SMUGGLING ___________ - １７ -１. Effective Use of Enforcement Equipment ________________________________ - １７ -２. Customs Controls by Utilizing Information _______________________________ - ２０ -３. Closer Cooperation with Relevant Agencies _____________________________ - ２３ -４. Promotion of International Information Exchange _________________________ - ２４ -Ⅶ. GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES _____________________________________________ - ２６ -１. Ministerial Meeting Concerning Measures against Crime ___________________ - ２６ -２. Meeting for the Promotion of Measures to Prevent Drug Abuse _____________ - ２７ -３. Meeting for the Promotion of Measures against Firearms __________________ - ２８ -

REFERENCE DATA _______________________________________________________ - ２９ -１. Types of Illicit Drugs _________________________________________________ - ２９ -２. Production Methods and Pharmacological Effects, etc. of Major Illicit Drugs __ - ３０ -３. Types of Firearms ___________________________________________________ - ３１ -４. Types of Pistols by Form _____________________________________________ - ３２ -５. Trends in Smuggling around the World__________________________________ - ３３ -６. Seizures of Goods Harmful to Society __________________________________ - ３６ -７. Number of Seizures of Major Illicit Drugs by Mode of Transport _____________ - ３７ -８－１. Number of Seizures of Methamphetamine by Mode of Transport _________ - ３７ -８－２. Number of Seizures of Methamphetamine by Source___________________ - ３８ -９－１. Number of Seizures of Cannabis by Mode of Transport _________________ - ３９ -９－２. Number of Seizures of Herbal Cannabis by Source ____________________ - ３９ -９－３. Number of Seizures of Cannabis Resin, etc. by Source _________________ - ４０ -(Re ference) Number of Dispositions for Violations of the Customs Act* by Mode of Offense_ - ４０ -10. Outline of Intellectual Property Rights __________________________________ - ４１ -