Police are investigating trading companies in Yamaguchi Prefecture on suspicion of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act, alleging that clams illegally imported from North Korea to Japan were sold all over the country under the guise of domestic production.
The search destinations are unusually dozens, including Fukuoka and Saitama.
The trading company "Aiko" in Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and fisheries companies in Fukuoka, Ibaraki, Saitama, and Tokyo are under investigation.
From the morning of the 21st, investigators from the Yamaguchi Prefectural Police Headquarters and other prefectural police began searching all at once. There is a suspicion of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act, as it was sold under the false pretense of being domestically produced.
The Japanese government has completely banned imports and exports as its own sanctions against North Korea, but clams were illegally imported from North Korea to Japan by bypassing China and South Korea.
The freshwater clams are believed to have been harvested in North Korea, but in the process of illegal imports, the clams were misrepresented as being of Russian origin to evade sanctions.
Dozens of places were searched, which is unusual, and according to investigative sources, there is a suspicion that funds are flowing to North Korea through a domestic network created by trading companies and fisheries companies that are being searched. is.
The police will analyze the seized materials to clarify the actual situation.