The police believe the men — Reuben Rosen, 58, an executive at a precious metals importer, and David Cohen, 55 — belong to a group suspected of similarly smuggling a total of some 4 tons of gold in 50 batches since March 2017, and selling it in Japan.
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SOTT – Japanese police arrested on Wednesday two Israeli men living in Tokyo for attempting to smuggle 220 kilograms of gold nuggets in 2017 — the largest haul seized in the country.
They were also held for alleged violation of Japan’s customs law by successfully smuggling by air a further amount of about 200 kg of gold — worth some 924 million yen ($8.42 million) — disguised as auto parts from Hong Kong, in November 2017, and evading some 70 million yen in consumption tax.
The police believe the men — Reuben Rosen, 58, an executive at a precious metals importer, and David Cohen, 55 — belong to a group suspected of similarly smuggling a total of some 4 tons of gold in 50 batches since March 2017, and selling it in Japan.
Investigators believe gold nuggets were bought by a third party in Hong Kong and that the two Tokyo residents were receivers of them. The 220-kg nuggets, worth 1.02 billion yen, were found by customs officials at Narita airport, near Tokyo, on Nov. 3, 2017.
Rosen has admitted the allegations while Cohen has denied some of them, according to police.
Following Japan’s consumption tax hike to 8 percent from 5 percent in 2014, the country has seen a rise in the number of gold smuggling cases aimed at evading the tax, which is applied to imports of the precious metal, according to the Finance Ministry
By comparison to the Japanese these guys get drop in the bucket sentences.
NHK TV interviewed an 83 year old prisoner just finishing up his 3-year sentence. He couldn’t find work and his last relative died when he was 60. He was starving and stole ¥100 ($1) from a donation plate. The system that fails to protect the elderly are the criminals but I digress.
Expats living here are amazed at the drug and gold smugglers whining since they get free passes by comparison. BTW-Marijuana is considered equal to heroin in Japan so the slap on the wrist sentences for the previously mentioned ecstasy smuggling is nothing. No doubt more token sentences for gold guys. If Japanese they’d be hanged.
observe the triumphal march of trademarks, starting with land without liars for liars without land™.
the claim that Satan is evil is an age-old antisemitic canard™.
and this egregious slander is largely responsible for the rising tide of antisemitism™ in the world.
goy envy, pure and simple, Denial™ that every jew is genius and every the jewess beautiful.
No surprise here at all!