IV. CUSTOMS CONTROLS AGAINST SMUGGLINGOF OTHER ITEMSThere are other items prohibited from import and export under the Customs Act, in addition to illicit
drugs, firearms, and goods infringing intellectual property rights. There are also items whose importand export are regulated under other domestic laws and regulations.

1. Seizures of Smuggled Gold Bullion
In order to cope with the smuggling of gold bullion, which has increased rapidly since 2014, Japan
Customs formulated and published "Emergency Countermeasures to 'Stop Gold Smuggling'" inNovember 2017 with the aim of strengthening inspections, tightening penalties, and enhancing thecollection and analysis of information. After the upper limits of penalties were raised in April 2018,
the number of seizures and seized amount both decreased significantly.
< Seizures of Smuggled Gold Bullion >The number of seizures of smuggled gold bullion* during the one-year period from January toDecember of 2022 was 9 cases (up by 80% from the previous year), and the amount of seized goldbullion also increased to approx. 135 kg (up by approx. 5 times (id.)).
* Gold bullion includes partially processed gold products, in addition to gold ingots.

[Seizures of smuggled gold bullion during the past 10 years]

Number ofseizures (cases)
Seized amount(kg)

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

12119

465

811

1,347

1,086

61

51

5

9133

449

2,032

2,802

6,277

2,054

319

150

27

135(Note) Figures for 2022 are provisional.

[Transition in the number of seizures and seized amount](Seizures: cases)(Seized amount: kg)

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2. Smuggling Cases Involving CITES-listed Species
In 1973, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES) was adopted in Washington D.C. for the purpose of regulating international trade ofendangered species and protecting them from extinction. This Convention is called the Washington
Convention. The Convention covers not only live animals and plants as pets or for appreciation, butalso processed products, such as stuffed animals, and coats and other clothes, handbags, belts, shoes,pieces of work, and Chinese medicines, etc. using animals and plants.
During the one-year period from January to December of 2022, Customs made accusations of 3
smuggling cases involving CITES-listed species.
< Major smuggling case involving CITES-listed species >[Case] Smuggling of monkeys
Customs accused a Japanese national who attempted to smuggle 21 monkeys (Saimiri sciureus,etc.) by air from Thailand of violating the Customs Act. (Oct. 2022; Tokyo Customs)

3. Illicit Export Cases
There are specific cargo items whose export requires permission or approval under laws andregulations other than the Customs Act. The effectiveness of regulations under these laws andregulations is to be secured by linking them with the export permission system under the Customs Act.
In collaboration with relevant ministries and agencies, Customs also regulates illicit exports that may
lead to the outflow of products and technologies that are likely to be diverted to military use.
Customs made accusations of one case of illicit export of waste electronic substrates, etc. during theone-year period from January to December of 2022.
< Major illicit export case >[Case] Illicit export of waste electronic substrates, etc.
Customs accused a corporation and six Chinese nationals that attempted to export waste
electronic substrates, etc. (cargo subject to the Basel Convention) illicitly to Malaysia using aforeign-flagged vessel of violating the Customs Act. (Nov. 2022; Osaka Customs)

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4. Counterfeit postal stamps
Under the Customs Act, counterfeits, forgeries, and imitations of coins, bills, bank notes, stamps, postal
stamps, and securities, and counterfeit cards are specified as cargo that must not be imported.
In April 2022, Customs made accusations of a case of counterfeit postal stamps.
< Smuggling of counterfeit postal stamps >[Case] Smuggling of counterfeit postal stamps
Customs accused one Japanese national who attempted to smuggle a total of 42,500 counterfeit
postal stamps by the use of international mail from China of violating the Customs Act. (Apr. 2022;Tokyo Customs)

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