Crime Japan seizes record 2 tons of illegal drugs in first half of 2025

[thomas]

Japanese customs officers confiscated more than two tons of illegal drugs in the first half of 2025, the highest figure ever recorded, government figures revealed on Wednesday. Cannabis made up the bulk of the haul, with about 1,332 kilograms seized between January and June—over eight times more than in the same period last year and the largest amount ever taken for the half-year stretch. When combined with other narcotics, the total rose to roughly 2,073 kilograms, a year-on-year increase of 33%, according to the Finance Ministry, which oversees customs and international trade.

While the total number of cases involving illegal drugs only rose 6 percent to 531, the sharp increase in volume was driven by the discovery of a record 1 ton of cannabis hidden in a shipping container arriving from Vietnam earlier this year. Seizures of stimulant drugs fell 73 percent to around 285 kg, while those of narcotics such as cocaine and MDMA rose 33 percent to around 443 kg. Following a legal revision in December 2024 that classified tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive chemical found in cannabis plants, as a narcotic, products containing the substance were seized in 122 cases, totaling 202 kg.

Source: https://japantoday.com/category/crime/record-2-tons-of-illegal-drugs-seized-in-japan-in-1st-half-of-2025 (via Kyodo)