I. TRENDS IN ILLICIT DRUGS SMUGGLING
1. Seizures of Smuggled Illicit Drugs
The total number of seizures of smuggled illicit drugs*1 during the one-year period fromJanuary to December of 2020 was 733 (down by 30% from the previous year), and the total
amount of seized illicit drugs*2,3 was approx. 1,906 kg (down by 43% (id.)). However, theseized amount exceeded 1 ton for the fifth consecutive year, recording the third largest
amount, at close to 2 tons. The situation has remained serious.
＊1 "Illicit drugs" refers to methamphetamine, cannabis, opium, narcotics (heroin, cocaine, MDMA, etc.),
psychotropic substances and designated substances.
＊2 "The total amount of seized illicit drugs" excludes tablet formed drugs.
＊3 The seized amount excludes those whose weights, etc. are not defined. The same applies hereinafter.

Transition in the number of seizures of smuggled illicit drugs(Seizures: cases)
and the seized amount(Seized amount: kg)
2,000

1,500

4,000
OtherCannabis
Methamphetamine
Number of seizures

3,000

1,000

2,000

500

1,00002011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Methamphetamine 402 482 859 549 422 1,501 1,159 1,159 2,587 800
Cannabis
57132
1374
349131 156
82116
Other5011135666
14090178 670 989
Total
509 626 1,007 630 522 1,650 1,380 1,493 3,339 1,906
Number of seizures 326 308 382 390 1,896 892 784 871 1,047 733
Of which, cases ofmethamphetamine 185 141 154 17483
104 151 169 425
72
smuggling0(Note) "Others" includes opium, narcotics (heroin, cocaine, MDMA, etc.), psychotropic substances anddesignated substances. Figures for 2020 are provisional.
Figures for 2019 are those from January to December 2019. The same applies hereinafter.

(1) Methamphetamine< Seizures of smuggled methamphetamine >The number of seizures of smuggled methamphetamine during the one-year period
from January to December of 2020 was 72 cases (down by 83% from the previous year),and the amount of seized methamphetamine also decreased significantly to approx. 800kg (down by 69% (id.)).
Seized methamphetamine is equivalent to approximately 26.68 million doses, worth
approximately 51.2 billion yen in end price.
By mode of transport, the amount of methamphetamine seized from sea cargo
increased approx. 15-fold from the previous year, partly due to a large scale seizure, andaccounted for approx. 80% of the overall total.
In the meantime, smuggling cases by air passengers, air cargo, international mail, andship crews all decreased both in terms of the number of seizures and seized amount.
Transition in the number of seizures and seized amountby mode of Transport
Air passengers
Air cargo(Seized amount: kg)(Seizures; cases)

250

押収量
Seized amountSeizures
摘発件数

200(Seizures; cases)

500

125

400

100

300

7520050350押収量
Seized amount
摘発件数
Seizures229(Seized amount: kg)

300

107

250
150
99
100
5091

427

53
190

79160232018
H30542020
R202016
H28

2017
H29

Sea cargo(Seizures; cases)

2015102019
R100(Seized amount: kg)

10639

581
625

6351

1,000

100

750

75

500

502016
H28

2018
H30

2017
H29

135093
2019
R102020R2International mail(Seized amount: kg)

200

押収量
Seized amount
摘発件数
Seizures

85
150

52
38

100

100

188

2025002019
R1150
20

10 22
2017
2018
H29
H30

96252020
R2

23505343

0

15 48(Seizures; cases)

2132572

2016
H28押収量
Seized amount
摘発件数
Seizures926

5100200

50

14002016
H282017
H292018
H302019
R12020
R2

Ship crews(Seized amount: kg)(Seizures; cases)

20
15105

1,750

Seized amount
押収量
摘発件数
Seizures

1,500
1,250

10

1,000

1,605

750
715

347502017
H292018
H3002016
H28

500
3225002019
R12020R20(Note) "Air passengers" includes crew members, and "shipcrews" includes passengers and cases of trafficking
by sea. "Air cargo" includes unaccompanied baggage
sent by air, and "sea cargo" includes unaccompaniedbaggage sent by sea.

By source, Asia (40%) and North America (17%) accounted for the majority of theoverall total.
In terms of the seized amount, Africa accounted for 32%, North America 31%, and Asia
19%. These three areas accounted for approx. 80% of the overall total.
Number of seizures of smuggled
methamphetamine by source

Amount of seizedmethamphetamine by source
Middle East2%

Europe2%

Africa7%
Middle East
10%

Latin America
13%South Africa
6%Vietnam11%

Mexico13%

Europe14%

Latin America
14%
Thailand10%
Malaysia
6%
Taiwan6%

Mexico14%

Asia40%Asia
19%Africa32%
South Africa
32%

Thailand
15%
Canada31%

UnitedStates13%

North America
31%

North America
17%< Major seizures of smuggled methamphetamine >[Case 1]
Customs
seized239
kgofmethamphetamine concealed in sea cargo(falsely labeled as sweet shrimp) fromCanada.
(Jan. 2020; Tokyo Customs)[Case 2]Customs
seized237
kgofmethamphetamine concealed in sea cargo(plastic injection machine) from South
Africa.
(Oct. 2020; Yokohama Customs)[Case 3]Customs
seized113
kg
ofmethamphetamine concealed in sea cargo(stone plate for steak) from Thailand.
(Mar. 2020; Tokyo Customs)[Case 4]
Customs seized a total of 22 kg ofmethamphetamine concealed in suitcases
for four passengers who arrived at Narita
Airport from Mexico.
(Sep. 2020; Yokohama Customs)

(2) Cannabis< Seizures of smuggled cannabis >The number of seizures of smuggled cannabis during the one-year period from January
to December of 2020 was 203 cases (down by 16% from the previous year), while theseized amount increased by 42% from the previous year to approx. 116 kg.
The number of seizures and the seized amount both decreased for herbal cannabis,
but the seized amount increased for cannabis resin, etc. (including cannabis products,
such as cannabis liquid and cannabis sweets, in addition to cannabis resin) (approx. 68kg [increased approx. 3.2-fold (id.)]).
By source, North America accounted for approx. 80% of the overall total (67% from theUnited States and 9% from Canada).
Transition in the number of seizures ofsmuggled cannabis and seized amount(Seizures; cases)

150(Seized amount: kg)

200

Seized amount (cannabis resin, etc.)
押収量（大麻樹脂等）
Seized amount (herbal cannabis)
押収量（大麻草）Number of seizures (cannabis
摘発件数（大麻樹脂等）

128

132

resin, etc.)
Number of seizures (herbal
摘発件数（大麻草）
cannabis)

117

UK 4%

110

9086

Vietnam
7%

81
49
5650

Netherlands
3%
Others
Switzerland
5%
4%

150

115
100

Number of seizures by source (2020)

100
Canada
9%

143

3761

117

United States
67%

50
68

603
2016
H2813
2017
H2913
2018
H30

212019R12020
R20< Major seizures of smuggled cannabis >[Case 5]
Customs seized approx. 5 g of cannabis
liquid concealed in international mail fromthe United States.
(Sep. 2020; Osaka Customs, etc.)[Case 6]
Customs seized approx. 9 kg of
cannabis liquid conceal in air cargo (winebottles) from the United States.
(Feb. 2020; Tokyo Customs)

(3) Narcotics< Seizures of smuggled narcotics >The number of seizures of smuggled narcotics (heroin, cocaine, MDMA, etc.) during
the one-year period from January to December of 2020 decreased to 163 cases (downby 22% from the previous year), but the seized amount increased to approx. 821 kg (upby 25% (id.)) and to approx. 90,000 tablets (up by 48% (id.)).
The number of seizures of smuggled cocaine almost halved to 27 cases (down by 48%(id.), but the seized amount increased to approx. 818 kg (up by 28% (id.)).
As a cause of the increase in the seized amount, a large-scale seizure of approx. 722
kg, the largest amount ever, can be cited [see Case 7].
The number of seizures increased for MDMA (74 cases [up by 10% (id.)]) and theseized amount also increased to approx. 90,000 tablets (up by 48% (id.)) and to approx.
2 kg in other forms (increased approx. 4.3-fold (id.)).
< Major seizures of smuggled narcotics >[Case 7] (Largest ever seized amount forcocaine)
Customs seized approx. 722 kg ofcocaine concealed in sea cargo fromEcuador.
(Apr. 2020; Yokohama Customs)[Case 8]Customs seized approx. 10,000
tablets of MDMA concealed in a suitcaseof a passenger who arrived at Fukuoka
Airport from the Netherlands.
(Feb. 2020; Moji Customs)(4) Designated Substances< Seizures of smuggled designated substances ><Major seizures of smuggled

The number of seizures of smuggled
designated substances during theone-year period from January to Decemberof 2020 increased to 293 cases(up by 78% from the previous year), andthe seized amount increased to approx.

designated substances >168 kg (increased approx. 12-fold (i.d.)).
A large amount of smuggled Sivagus
was seized and this case increased
the overall total [see Case 9].

[Case 9]Customs seized a total of approx.
23,000 gas cylinders containing dinitrogenmonoxide(Sivagus)concealed
ininternational mail from China.
(Jan. etc. 2020; Yokohama Customs)

２. Influences of Illicit Drug Abuse
Methamphetamine and narcotics significantly harm the mental and physical health ofpeople who abuse them, make them unable to live like human beings, or even cause deaths.
Hallucinations or delusions due to the illicit drug abuse may lead to heinous crimes, suchas murder or arson, or traffic accidents in some cases. The abuse of illicit drugs may thus
cause irredeemable damage not only to abusers themselves but also to the people aroundthem and to society as a whole in the end.
(1) Mental and physical influences
The abuse of methamphetamine and other illicit drugs fatally destroys abusers' mental
and physical health. Major organs are subject to serious adverse influences listed as follows,which may even cause death in the worst case.
Brain: Brain atrophy and brain hemorrhage (memory deterioration and senility
symptoms)

Eyes: Optic nerve disorder and fundus hemorrhage (decreased vision and loss ofsight)

Bronchi: Mucosal abnormality (bronchitis)



Lungs: Mucosal abnormality (lung cancer)

Stomach: Gastric mucosal abnormality and bleeding (gastric pain, nausea, andemesis)

Bone marrow: Red blood cell dysplasia (anemia)

The abuse of illicit drugs hinders normal brain development and worsens abusers' mentalbalance. Abusers may temporarily feel to be clear-headed or have nervous excitement, butwill be overwhelmed by a sense of exhaustion or a feeling of fatigue, and will eventually
have hallucinations and delusions.
(2) Influences on surrounding people
The abuse of illicit drugs not only exerts influences on individual abusers but also causes
damage to the people around them and society as a whole. One of the representativeadverse influences is violence. Long-term abuse of illicit drugs causes disturbance ofperception, decreased appetite, emotional disorder, hallucinations and strong paranoia,
due to which abusers often use violence on their family members or develop abnormalbehavior, such as carrying a weapon all the time. Family members and people around them
are swayed by such behavior and are forced to live with fear and suffering.
The high prices of illicit drugs often make abusers heavily debt-ridden, leading to thedestruction of families or failure of lives, or triggering minors to take money from the home.
The abuse of illicit drugs thus also causes serious economic problems.
Furthermore, the abuse of illicit drugs triggers various offenses. There seems no end tothe heinous crimes, such as murder, arson, captivity, and injury, caused by hallucinations,delusions or flashbacks,* or theft just to get money for purchasing drugs.
Additionally, it is also a serious social problem that money paid by illicit drug abusers
becomes the source of funds for international narcotics crime organizations and organizedcrime groups in Japan. In this manner, the influences of abuse of illicit drugs threaten
people's lives on a broad scale from various aspects.
(*) Once a person develops a hallucination, delusion or other symptoms of mental illness
due to the abuse of illicit drugs, even if the person superficially seems to have recovered
through treatment, his/her base prone to mental disorders remains and something may
easily trigger a mental disorder, such as a hallucination or delusion, after the person
stopped the drug abuse and resumed his/her normal life. This is called a flashback,which may be caused by a trivial stimulus such as drinking alcohol or mental stress.

Refer to Japan Customs' Website:
https://www.customs.go.jp/mizugiwa/smuggler/abuse.htm