May increase smuggling due to increase in consumption tax rate
Customs is strengthening the crackdown because crimes that earn profits by smuggling gold purchased overseas that is not subject to consumption tax and selling it in Japan may increase due to an increase in the consumption tax rate.
With regard to gold, there have been a series of crimes that have been purchased overseas, where consumption tax is not applied, and then smuggled and sold to Japan, where the profit margin of the consumption tax is earned.
Under these circumstances, Customs is strengthening crackdown on the possibility that gold smuggling may increase due to an increase in margins due to the increase in the consumption tax rate from 8% to 10% on the 1st of this month.
Of these, Kansai Airport uses metal detectors and X-ray inspection equipment to focus on the inspection of cargo and travelers from countries where gold smuggling is often detected.
According to customs, the amount of gold confiscated and confiscated by the airport and port from Osaka by June is approximately 127 kilograms, accounting for more than 80% of the gold smuggled nationwide.
Kansai Airport Customs Office special supervisor Hideaki Sugawara says, “Smuggling techniques are becoming more sophisticated every day. Be careful not to get involved even if you are smuggled overseas because it is a crime to hide money.” I was talking.
Increased smuggling after tax increase in the past
If you buy gold that has been smuggled from abroad and sell it to a trader, you will be paid the consumption tax from the trader, and you will be able to get the profit margin.
According to customs, the amount of smuggled gold seized in 2013 was about 133 km, but in 2014 when the consumption tax rate was 5% to 8%, it was about 449 km, and in 2015 it was about It increased rapidly to 2032 km, about 15 times before the tax increase.
For this reason, Customs has been wary of further smuggling of gold since this month, when the consumption tax rate was raised to 10%.
According to the customs, recently, the technique has become more sophisticated, such as melting gold and bringing it in the form of rosary belt buckles and back decorations, and rosary inside. is.