Four Japanese men have been caught at an Australian airport on suspicion of trying to smuggle a large amount of cigarettes into the country.
NHK has learned that the four were pulled aside at Brisbane Airport earlier this month for trying to bring in more than 140,000 cigarettes without reporting them.
The authorities say all four tried to enter the country as tourists. They were denied entry when they were found to be hiding the tobacco in large suitcases.
There have been a series of cases since July this year in which Japanese have attempted to smuggle in cigarettes. So far, 24 people have been caught.
One of them told the Australian authorities he expected to be paid.
Ken McKern of the Australian Border Force said, “It’s a source of income for organized crime groups who are profiting from the illicit tobacco market, and they’re using those funds to undertake criminal activity, both here in Australia and overseas.”
Australia is raising taxes on tobacco to reduce the number of smokers. A pack by a major brand with 25 sticks costs about 50 Australian dollars, or about 35 US dollars. That is more than double what it was 10 years ago.
Smuggling from foreign countries, including, Japan, is surging, prompting the Australian authorities to step up their controls.