Ⅰ. INTERDICTIONS OF ILLICIT DRUGS AND FIREARMS SMUGGLING IN 2014
1.Number of Interdictions( 1 ) Summary【Status of Seizures of Major Illicit Drugs and Firearms, etc. in 2014】
The total number of seizures of illicit drugs*１ was 390 (up 2% year on year), and the seized
quantity*２ was approximately 630 kg*３(down 37% year on year). With total seizures of over
600kg for 3 years in a row, the situation is still serious. Three firearms smuggling crimes werediscovered (down 25% YOY), and the seized quantity was four firearms (down 33% YOY).
*１ Stimulants, cannabis, opium, narcotics (cocaine, heroin, MDMA, etc.) andpsychotropic substances.
２* This excludes drugs in tablet form.
*３ This is equivalent to approximately 18.85 million doses in the quantities
commonly used by drug abusers.
〔Stimulants crimes〕
The number of seizures was 174 (up 13% YOY) (the second largest number on record), and theseized quantity was approximately 549 kg (down 36% YOY) (the fifth largest number on record).
Both of these are high levels.
⇒Illicit smuggling by airline passengers attained the second largest number on record in both
number and quantity of seizures
Smuggling by Thai were 30 cases (15 times YOY) , which is a remarkable increase.
⇒There was an increase in illicit smuggling originating from China and Thailand.
China; the number of seizures : 79 cases (nearly double YOY),
the seized quantity : 200kg (nearly triple YOY)
Thailand ; the number of seizures : 26 cases (nearly 13 times YOY),
the seized quantity : 28kg (nearly 29 times YOY)
〔Cannabis crimes〕
The number of seizures was 99 (up 50% YOY), and the seized quantity was approximately 74kg
(up 6 times YOY). both of these has turned from a decrease in the previous year to an increase.
⇒As for cannabis resin, the number of seizures was 47 (3 times YOY), and the seized quantity
was approximately 40 kg (55 times YOY). , which is a remarkable increase.

( 2 ) Interdiction of Major Illicit Drugs and Firearms
Year
Type

Stimulants
Cannabis
Herbal cannabis
Cannabis resin

Opium
Narcotics

Cases
kg
Cases
kg
Cases
kg
Cases
kg
Cases
kg
Cases
kg
Thousand tablets

HeroinCocaine
MDMA,stcCases
kg
Cases
kg
Cases
kg
Thousand tablets

KetaminMethylone

Cases
kg
Cases
kg
Thousand tablets

OthersCases
kg
Thousand tablets

Psychotropics

Cases
kg
Thousand tablets

TotalCases
kg
Thousand tablets

Reference(number of use)

Firearms
pistols
Firearmsparts(note)

123
4
5
6
7
8

10,000 times
Cases
Guns
Cases
Guns
Cases
Items

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

152322
59
27
45
2
1425
2
3
50
1116
4
1
11
6
20
10
4
30
200
16
33
114296
364
30
1,133

185
402
71
57
57
6
14
51
2437
44
563938
4
20
10
3
1
140
5
31
213326
509
18
1,550

14148282
132
58104
242946114317950080
2021043912308
626
16
1,701154
859
66
1352
1214
110128135173410127
6
3050
20102
117330
10382
1,007
27
3,331

174
549
99
74
52
35
47
4091
62
2010
2
500
7
1
3064
32
26
9390630
11
1,885-

1
1

34
34
3
34
646-

34
34
2
2

Compared to
2013

113%
64%
150%
574%
100%
284%
336%
54.5 times

Total reduction
Total reduction

71%
5%
13%
67%
0%
100%2%
83%
0%
550%
140%
494%
150%
200%
63%
590%
13%
79%

Total reduction

88%
102%
63%
41%
57%
75%
67%
75%
67%

Total increase
Total increase

The figures include quantities seized not only in smuggling cases interdicted by Japan Customs but also insmuggling cases interdicted by the police and other law enforcement agencies in collaboration withCustoms.
Stimulants includes stimulants and their raw materials.

“MDMA, etc.” represents the total amount of MDMA, MDA and MDE.
Ketamine was designated as a narcotic under the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act in March 2006.
The designation took effect in January 1 of the following year.
Methylone was designated as a narcotic under the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act in January
2007. The designation took effect in February 3 of the same year .
“Reference (number of use)” represents the total use of the following illicit drugs, calculated from theaverage amount an abuser uses at one time.'(stimulant: 0.03 g; herbal cannabis: 0.5 g; cannabis resin: 0.1 g;heroin: 0.01 g; cocaine: 0.03 g; opium: 0.3 g; MDMA and psychotropic: 1 tablet)
Some figures may not be accurate due to rounding.
"0" means 500 g or less, while "―" means nil.

2. Trends in Illicit Drug Smuggling( 1 ) Stimulants
・The number of seizures was the second largest on record.
・There were frequent instances of illicit smuggling by Thai women in their 20s and 30s.
・Illicit smuggling from China has doubled / Approx. 70% of all seizures are from Mexico andChina.
There were 174 seizures relating to the smuggling of stimulants by customs in 2014 (up 13% year onyear) and the second largest number on record. The seized quantity was approximately 549kg (down36% year on year) and the fifth highest number on record. Both of these are high levels (see Figure 1).
By transportation of smuggling, there were 126 cases (up 21% year on year) of seizures by airline
passengers, which was approximately 70% of all seizures and the seized quantity was approximately
246kg (down 19% year on year), approximately half of all seizures. Both of these are the second
largest figures on record. The seized quantity also exceeded 200kg for the 5th successive year since2010, which suggests that smuggling by airline passengers is becoming mainstream (see Figure 2).
The figures on airline passenger smugglers by country showed that there has been a remarkableincrease in the number of Thai smugglers (30 cases, 15 times YOY). This was the largest number
exceeding that of Japanese smugglers.(so far which has been the highest.) 25 of the 30 apprehended
Thai were women in their 20s and 30s (see Figure 3).
In addition, the most frequent method of concealment was suitcases with fake compartments,
accounted for 48% of all and the second most frequent method was modified souvenirs, etc. carried bypassengers. These two methods accounted for 75% of all (see Figure 4).
There were 20 cases of smuggling by concealment into body (for swallowing or insertion into bodycavities), a huge increase in reversal in comparison with last year (4 cases discovered). Twelve of
these cases involved Thai women (see Figure 5).
By point of origin for seizures of smuggled stimulants, the number of smuggling stimulants from
China was 79 cases.(double YOY, approximately half of all.) Of these, that from Hong Kong inparticular was 42 cases (approximately 4 times YOY, a large increase). Furthermore, there were nocases originating from India (the previous year is 19 cases) but on the other hand, there has been aremarkable increase in cases originating from Thailand with 26 cases (13 times YOY) (see Figure 6).
Furthermore, by the seized quantity seized by origin of smuggling, approximately 207kg (down 60%YOY) that from Mexico was the largest seizure same as the previous year. The second largest seizure
was that from China, approximately 200kg (approximately 3 times YOY) and Mexico and China
accounted for approximately 70% of all (see Figure 7).

Figure1: Transition of the number of seizures and the seized quantity of stimulants(cases)(kg)

Figure2: Transition of the number of seizures and the seized quantity of stimulants (airline passenger)(cases)(kg)

Figure 3: Transition of the number of Seizures by Gender / Country (Top Five Countries)

Figure 4: Transition of Component Ratio by Method of Concealment

Figure 5: Component Ratio by Nationality of Smugglers concealing Substances in their Bodies (2014)

Figure 6: Transition of the number of Seizures by Origin (Top Five Countries)

Figure 7: Transition of Seizure Quantity by Origin (Top Five Countries)( 2 ) Cannabis ( herbal cannabis and cannabis resin )The number of seizure and the seized quantity increase in reversal compared to last year.
There were 99 cases of seizures of smuggled herbal cannabis by customs in 2014 (up 50% YOY) andthe seized quantity was approximately 74kg (6 times YOY). Both of these increased in reversal incomparison with last year. Of these, in particular, there were 47 seizures (approximately 3 times YOY)of cannabis resin. The seized quantity was approximately 40kg (55 times YOY), increased
significantly (see Figure 8).
In addition, liquid cannabis was seized repetitively, cannabis products were diversified.
Figure 8: Transition of the number of seizures of cannabis and seized quantity(cases)(kg)( 3 ) Other illicit drugs ( Narcotics, Psychotropics )[1] The number of narcotics smuggling crimes detected by customs in 2014 was 91 (down 29% YOY),
and the seized quantity was approximately 6 kg (down 95%, YOY)
By type of seized narcotics, the drugs commonly known as 4-MMC and XLR-11 which are said tobe conventional raw materials for designer drugs were most prominent.
[2] The number of psychotropics smuggling crimes detected by customs in 2014 was 26 (down 21%,YOY), and the seized quantity was approximately 9,000 tablets (down 12%, YOY)

3. Trends in Firearms Smuggling
The number of firearm smuggling crimes detected by customs in 2014 was 3 (down 25%, YOY), andthe seized quantity was 4 (down 33%, YOY). Seized firearms were all guns. The number of seizuresof firearms parts was 2 and the seized quantity was 2 parts. Both of these increased.