TOKYO, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The amount of stimulants and other illegal substances seized by Japanese authorities at ports and airports nationwide in 2023 came to 2,406 kilograms, the country's second-largest seizure, local media reported Tuesday.
The figure was a 79 percent jump from the previous year, marking the country's second-biggest seizure of illegal drugs, with the largest recorded in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, public broadcaster NHK said, citing finance ministry data.
Meanwhile, the number of drug trafficking cases uncovered in 2023 was 815, down 22 percent from 2022.
The number of cases involving passenger planes nearly tripled from the previous year to 262, due to an increase in passenger air travel that occurred after coronavirus restrictions were eased, the report said.
In 2023, a seizure record was set when 704 kilograms of stimulants were pulled from a cargo ship that arrived in Tokyo Bay from the United Arab Emirates. ■
