Tokyo police have arrested six suspects, including five Chinese nationals, for allegedly smuggling a large amount of gold from China into Japan.
According to reports from NHK on Tuesday, customs officials discovered nearly 100 pounds of gold hidden inside life-size human body models, with a value exceeding 1 billion Japanese yen. Authorities suspect that this seizure may just be the tip of the iceberg.
The police stated that five of the suspects are Chinese nationals, while the remaining one is Japanese, including a 46-year-old operator of a precious metals company.
They are accused of attempting to smuggle nearly 100 pounds of gold through Tokyo’s Narita Airport in January this year. The smuggled gold was shaped into cylindrical bars and concealed within the skeleton frames of the human body models. Authorities believe the group attempted to evade over 100 million yen in consumption tax and other fees. It is currently unclear whether anyone has confessed to the crime.
The suspect who operates the precious metals trading company allegedly collaborated with Chinese associates who transported the gold via air freight. On the customs declaration, they only listed one item, stating the goods solely consisted of human body models.
These human body models were shipped to a residence in Nishinippori, Arakawa Ward, Tokyo. The Japanese recipient claimed to receive 5,000 yen for each delivery. Subsequently, a Chinese citizen would come to retrieve the gold.
Investigators believe the suspects would melt the gold and produce gold bars weighing 1 kilogram each for sale. They stated that these gold bars may have already been shipped overseas.
Authorities believe this is not the first time the group attempted to smuggle gold into Japan using life-size human body models.
In recent years, gold smuggling in Japan has been on the rise. In 2024, Japan saw 494 cases of gold smuggling, while in 2025, there were 192 cases, primarily originating from Asia. Among them, Hong Kong accounted for 75 cases, mainland China 62 cases, Taiwan 21 cases, and South Korea 15 cases.
Officials pointed out that there is a concerning supply-demand imbalance in Japan’s gold trade. Japan’s gold exports were around 228 tons in 2024 and 2025, while imports have consistently remained around 10 tons, with domestic production hovering around 4 tons.
The significant disparity between exports, imports, and domestic production strongly suggests that large amounts of gold are being smuggled into Japan from overseas.
Yukiichi Ikemizu, Chairman of the Japan Gold and Silver Market Association, mentioned in an NHK interview that smuggling activities may be related to Japan’s 10% consumption tax on gold. For instance, if someone smuggles 25 million yen worth of gold into Japan, they can sell it for 27.5 million yen, earning a considerable price difference.
Ikemizu stated that if the price of gold continues to rise, criminal activities will become even more profitable.