Crime Twenty kilos of cocaine found at Shimizu Port in 'parasite smuggling'

Authorities from the Shimizu Coast Guard Office in Shizuoka have uncovered around twenty kilograms of cocaine that had been smuggled into the country using what investigators described as "parasite" tactics, attaching the drugs to the hull of a foreign cargo ship docked at Shimizu Port. The haul, valued at roughly ¥500 million on the street, was displayed to the press on Friday.


International crime networks often employ this smuggling method. They fasten contraband to a vessel without the crew's knowledge. During an underwater inspection on 10 July, divers examined the underside of the ship and found a bag hidden inside a seawater intake located about twelve metres below the surface. Inside were twenty taped bricks of cocaine, each weighing one kilogram.


The intake, which supplies cooling water for the ship's engines, can only be reached by experienced divers using air tanks and full gear. Investigators believe someone entered the water, removed the intake cover with specialised tools, and deliberately concealed the drugs inside. The coast guard continues to look into who was behind the operation.

This is the second confirmed case of parasite smuggling discovered in Japan, after cocaine was also found at Mikawa Port in Aichi Prefecture in August 2019. The office and others questioned the ship's crew. They do not believe the ship's owner or the about 20 crew members were involved in the smuggling. All crew members were identified using their passports, and no suspicious activities involving the ship's owner have been confirmed. Therefore, the office has determined that the case constitutes parasite smuggling. The cargo ship has already departed Shimizu Port. The office is continuing its investigation into the case under the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Law, while the Nagoya Customs Shimizu Office is investigating it under the Customs Law.

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