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 from January
to December of 2022 was 1,044 (up by 25% from the previous year), while the total amount of seized
illicit drugs*2,3 decreased to approx. 1,147 kg (down by 8% (id.)). The number of seizures was thethird largest, and the seized amount exceeded 1 ton for the seventh consecutive year, recording thetenth largest amount. 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 and the seized amount(Seizures: cases)
2,000(Seized amount: kg)
4,000

OtherCannabis
Methamphetamine
Number of seizures

1,500

3,000

1,000

2,000

500

1,00002011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
402 482 859 549 422 1,501 1,159 1,159 2,587 811 1,014 567
57132137434
9131 15682
126 153 431
5011135666
140
90
178 670 991
84148
509 626 1,007 630 522 1,650 1,380 1,493 3,339 1,928 1,251 1,147326 308 382 390 1,896 892 784 871 1,047 745 836 1,044

Methamphetamine
Cannabis
OtherTotal
Number of seizures
Of which, cases of methamphetamine
185
smuggling

141

154

174

83

104

151

169

425

72

95

300

(Note) "Others" includes opium, narcotics (heroin, cocaine, MDMA, etc.), psychotropic substances and designated substances.
Figures for 2022 are provisional.

10The number of seizures of smuggled illicit drugs by mode of transport increased from the previousyear for all modes. Increases were significant for the number of seizures from air cargo (up by 92%
from the previous year) and that from air passengers (up by approx. 3.9 times (id.)).
The number of seizures from international mail increased by 5% (id.), maintaining a high level
continuously from the previous year.
Transition in the number of seizures of smuggled illicit drugs(Note)"Air passengers" includes crew members, and "ship crews" includes
passengers and cases of trafficking by sea. "Air cargo" includes
unaccompanied baggage sent by air, and "sea cargo" includes
unaccompanied baggage sent by sea.

2(1) Methamphetamine< Seizures of smuggled methamphetamine >The number of seizures of smuggled methamphetamine during the one-year period fromJanuary to December of 2022 was 300 cases (up by approx. 3.2 times from the previous year),while the amount of seized methamphetamine decreased to approx. 567 kg (down by 44% (id.)).
Seized methamphetamine is equivalent to approx. 18.92 million doses, worth approx. 33.5
billion yen in end price.
By mode of transport, the number of seizures and seized amount of methamphetamine fromair cargo, international mail, and air passengers all increased from the previous year.
In the meantime, smuggling cases by sea cargo decreased from the previous year, and there
was no seizure from ship crews.
Transition in the number of seizures and seized amount
Air cargo(Seizures; cases)(Seized amount: kg)

150
125

107

750150201810320192020

2021

250

50

25002022

Air passengers(Seizures; cases)(Seized amount: kg)

Number of seizures

150

50

23160
540

2019

2020

43520192020

352021

101

119

2050

62020212022

Sea cargo(Seizures; cases)(Seized amount: kg)

1,000

Seized amount
Number of seizures

400

15

750

10

5926

4300

2018

2022

2

2019

639
2020

500

7

6200

100

Ship crews(Seizures; cases)

3

650
28
2021

250

0

2022

(Seized amount: kg)

20

1,750
Seized amount
Number of seizures

15(Note)"Air passengers" includes crew members, and "ship crews" includes
passengers and cases of trafficking by sea. "Air cargo" includes
unaccompanied baggage sent by air, and "sea cargo" includes
unaccompanied baggage sent by sea.

1,500
1,250
1,000

10

1,605
350

1410427

2018

2350

300

100

33

188

Seized amount

200

91

100

2018

500

229

52

50

100

266
22

150

85

100
75

319

20

25

Number of seizures

200

50

13

125

200

127

Seized amount250

325(Seized amount: kg)

150

300

Number of seizures

100

50

350

127

Seized amountInternational mail(Seizures; cases)

500

20 00
2018

750

2019

2020

0 00 02021

2022

250
03

Looking at seizures by source, Asia accounted for the largest proportion, at 34% (101 cases).
In terms of the seized amount, Asia also accounted for the largest proportion, at 24% (approx.
137 kg).

< Major seizures of smuggled methamphetamine >[Case 2]Customs seized approx. 5.6 kg ofmethamphetamine concealed in air cargo(canned food) from Turkey.
(Jan. 2022; Tokyo Customs)[Case 1]
Customs seized approx. 9 kg ofmethamphetamine concealed in the
personal effects of three Japanesenationals who arrived at Narita Airport
from the UAE.
(May 2022; Tokyo Customs)

Dissolved methamphetamine in liquidand disguised it as canned food[Case 3]Customs seized approx. 1.7 kg ofmethamphetamine
concealedininternational mail from Mexico.
(Apr. 2022; Nagoya Customs)[Case 4]
Customs seized approx. 2 kg ofmethamphetamine concealed in air cargo(3D printer filaments) from the UnitedStates.
(Nov. 2022; Tokyo Customs)

Stored methamphetamine in a bottle
labeled as activated carbon powder4(2) Cannabis< Seizures of smuggled cannabis >The number of seizures of smuggled cannabis during the one-year period from January toDecember of 2022 was 148 cases (down by 26% from the previous year), while the seized amountincreased by approx. 2.8 times (id.) to approx. 431 kg.
The seized amount increased for herbal cannabis to approx. 315 kg (up by approx. 14.5 times(id.)), but decreased for cannabis resin, etc. (including cannabis products, such as cannabis liquidand cannabis sweets, in addition to cannabis resin) to approx. 117 kg (down by 11% (id.)).
Looking at seizures by source, the United States accounted for the largest proportion, at 51%,
followed by Viet Nam (15%) and Canada (11%). North America accounted for approx. 60% of
the overall total.
Transition in the number of cases and seized amount(Seizures; cases)(Seized amount: kg)< Major seizures of smuggled cannabis >[Case 5]
Customs seized approx. 1.3 kgof herbal cannabis concealed ininternational mail from theUnited States.
(Aug. 2022; Osaka Customs)[Case 6]
Customs seized approx. 4.8 kgof cannabis resin concealed in
air cargo (a wooden table) fromIndia.
(Jun. 2022; Moji Customs, etc.)

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Number of seizures by source

(3) Narcotics< Seizures of smuggled narcotics >The number of seizures of smuggled narcotics (heroin, cocaine, MDMA, etc.) during the oneyear period from January to December of 2022 was almost the same as in the previous year, at232 cases. The seized amount increased to approx. 131 kg (up by approx. 2.2 times from theprevious year), while the seized amount decreased to approx. 78,000 tablets (down by 41%(id.)).
The number of seizures of smuggled MDMA, etc. increased to 96 cases (up by 19% (id.)),while the seized amount of MDMA tablets decreased to approx. 78,000 (down by 40% (id.)) but
the seized amount of MDMA in other forms increased to approx. 46 kg (up by 52% (id.)).
The number of seizures of smuggled cocaine decreased to 28 cases (down by 18% (id.)), but
the seized amount increased to approx. 48 kg (up by approx. 3.3 times (id.)).
< Major seizures of smuggled narcotics >[Case 7]
Customs seized approx. 10 kgof cocaine concealed in thepersonal effects of a Peruvian
national who arrived at KansaiInternational Airport from Peru.
(Sep. 2022; Osaka Customs)[Case 8]Customs seized approx. 1.6 kg of
MDMA and approx. 212 g ofketamine concealed in international
mail from Germany.
(Aug. 2022; Nagoya Customs, etc.)(4) Designated Substances< Seizures of smuggled designated substances >The number of seizures of smuggled designated substances during the one-year period fromJanuary to December of 2022 increased to 348 cases (up by 15% from the previous year), but theseized amount decreased to approx. 17 kg (down by 13% (id.)).
<Major seizures of smuggled designated substances >[Case 9]Customs seized approx. 31 g ofdesignated substances (isobutyl nitrite)
concealed in international mail from
Taiwan.
(Feb. and Nov. 2022; Yokohama Customs)

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2. Influences of Illicit Drug Abuse
Methamphetamine and narcotics significantly harm the mental and physical health of people 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, such as murder
or arson, or traffic accidents in some cases. The abuse of illicit drugs may thus cause irredeemabledamage not only to abusers themselves but also to the people around them and to society as a wholein the end.
(1) Mental and physical influences
The abuse of methamphetamine and other illicit drugs fatally destroys abusers' mental andphysical 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 of sight)•Bronchi: Mucosal abnormality (bronchitis)•Lungs: Mucosal abnormality (lung cancer)•Stomach: Gastric mucosal abnormality and bleeding (gastric pain, nausea, and emesis)•

Bone marrow: Red blood cell dysplasia (anemia)

The abuse of illicit drugs hinders normal brain development and worsens abusers' mental balance.
Abusers may temporarily feel to be clear-headed or have nervous excitement, but will beoverwhelmed 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 representative adverse influences isviolence. Long-term abuse of illicit drugs causes disturbance of perception, 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 andsuffering.
The high prices of illicit drugs often make abusers heavily debt-ridden, leading to the destructionof 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.

7Furthermore, the abuse of illicit drugs triggers various offenses. There seems no end to the heinous
crimes, such as murder, arson, captivity, and injury, caused by hallucinations, delusions orflashbacks,* 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 organized crime groups inJapan. In this manner, the influences of abuse of illicit drugs threaten people's lives on a broad scalefrom various aspects.
* Once a person develops a hallucination, delusion or other symptoms of mental illness due to theabuse 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

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