NEWSWORTHY
Japanese court finds three Taiwanese women guilty of smuggling gold in their bras
A Japanese court gave three Taiwanese women suspended sentences Wednesday after finding them guilty of attempting to smuggle gold worth ¥50 million ($453,000) into the country by hiding it in their bras. The Hakodate District Court in Hokkaido handed down one-year prison terms to Qiu ...
Chinese gold mining in Cameroon tied to killings, corruption and land grabs
Killings, land grabs, corruption ... tensions and violence are rising in eastern Cameroon as Chinese firms take advantage of a regulatory twilight zone to mine gold. "There are constant conflicts between Cameroonians and the Chinese" over gold mining, said Narma Ndoyama, a farmer in Longa ...
Last defendant in Japan's biggest gold-smuggling case evades prison but gets ¥1.5 million fine
The Saga District Court sentences the last of nine men charged with smuggling 206 kg of gold into Japan in May, wrapping up the nation’s largest gold seizure to date.
Three Taiwanese women have been arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle about ¥50 million ($470,000) worth of gold into Japan through their bras, the police said Monday. Each woman had two bowl-shaped pieces of gold hidden in pockets attached to their bras, the police said. The ...
Japan's customs authorities seized record-high 6,200 kg of smuggled gold in 2017
The 6,236 kg of gold Japanese customs seized from tax dodgers in 2017 set a new one-year high and was worth around ¥28 billion.
Women caught smuggling gold from South Korea concealed in their rectums
Seven South Korean women attempted to smuggle gold into Japan late last month by concealing it in their rectums, officials from Aichi Prefecture's Chubu Airport said Tuesday. In most gold smuggling cases uncovered at the air hub, offenders concealed the gold on their person, such ...
Japan may impose tougher penalties for gold smuggling, as rise in cases seen as 'tip of iceberg'
The government will consider stricter penalties for gold smuggling as attempts soar with offenders seeking to pocket the 8 percent consumption tax from transactions.
Smashing breakthrough: Astronomers hail spectacular kilanova that sheds light on cosmic forces
It was a faint signal, but it told of one of the most violent acts in the universe, and it would soon reveal secrets of the cosmos, including how gold was created. Astronomers around the world reacted to the signal quickly, focusing telescopes located on ...
Asian stocks drop while yen and franc gain after North Korea missile launch
Asian stocks fell, and the yen and Swiss franc gained Tuesday as investors flocked to safe havens after North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan, fanning simmering tensions. Gold extended a rally above $1,300 an ounce and oil rebounded as investors weighed the damage ...
Are crime syndicates in Japan sitting on a gold mine?
The Japanese underworld loves gold — it has been the analog bitcoin of crime syndicates in recent years. The origins of gold are difficult to trace, and the material is easy to convert into cash and store. Crime syndicates are increasingly smuggling it, stealing ...
Aichi cop linked to info leak before arrests in Fukuoka gold bar heist
A police officer in Aichi Prefecture is suspected of leaking information on last year's massive gold bar theft in Fukuoka to a suspect before 10 people were recently arrested in connection with the case, investigative sources said Friday. The 10 were arrested in May over ...
Eight held for allegedly smuggling in 206 kg of gold to Saga port
Five Japanese and three Chinese men were arrested Thursday for allegedly smuggling 206 kg of gold by ship into a port in Kyushu, law enforcement authorities said. If verified, it would be Japan's largest gold-smuggling case ever. The local customs house is trying to verify ...
