KUALA LUMPUR: Kansai International Airport customs officials confiscated more than 100kg of gold bars, said to have been brought in from Malaysia in April this year.
According to Japanese news portal, Japan Today, the gold bars, worth over 500 million yen (approximately RM19.1 million), were found hidden under the clothing of 10 Malaysians who had arrived at the airport in Osaka from Malaysia.
The report said none of the Malaysian went through the required customs declaration procedures.
The case is said to be another attempt to smuggle gold into Japan and Japanese officials are investigating the matter as a suspected violation of its customs and consumption tax laws.
According to report, gold smuggling has been increasing since Japan’s consumption tax was raised from 5 per cent to 8 per cent in April 2014.
It said many gold smuggling cases reported since then had involved passengers arriving on flights from airports in Hong Kong and South Korea.
The portal also reported that it would seem smugglers are now exploring new routes including flights coming in from Malaysia.