Overview

• Authorities allege the group tried to bring about 3.5 kilograms of pure gold worth roughly ¥47–50 million into Japan on a Jan. 14 flight from Incheon to Kansai Airport.
• Suspects include Korean national Kim Jae-hoon, 35, described by police as the recruiter and coordinator, alongside seven Japanese couriers in their 20s to 40s.
• The gold was fashioned into seven 500-gram “medals” bearing a fake event name, which couriers wore or stashed in carry-on bags to pass them off as awards.
• Police say the aim was to evade about ¥8 million in customs and consumption taxes and then sell the gold domestically to capture the tax margin.
• Osaka Customs detected the ruse based on police intelligence, and investigators are examining the supply route and possible wider networks.