Japanese men sentenced for trafficking gold items

April 14, 2017 | 09:45

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The Hà Nội People’s Court on Wednesday sentenced two Japanese men for trafficking seven gold statues via the Nội Bài International Airport in August last year.

The two Japanese men are sentenced to imprisonment for trafficking gold products via the Nội Bài International Airport. – Photo anninhthudo.vn

Iwamura Masakazu, 46, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and Kitada Takayoshi, 34, was sentenced to eight years imprisonment.

Iwamura Masakazu is the former director of the Japan-based RG Innovation Company, which mediates on behalf of Vietnamese workers who wish to work in Japan. Aware that gold products are sold at very high prices in Japan, after visiting Việt Nam several times to study the trade market, Iwamura Masakazu decided to take gold products from Việt Nam to Japan to earn profits.

Iwamura Masakazu asked Kitada Takayoshi for help, who agreed to be part of the scam.

In July last year, the two men visited the Sinh Diễn Gold and Gemstones Co Ltd in the northern province of Bắc Ninh and asked the owner of the company to make seven gold statues. They made an appointment to collect the products one month later.

To deceive Vietnamese customs, Iwamura Masakazu asked Kitada Takayoshi to get the seven gold statues plated in silver.

On August 3 last year, the Nội Bài International Airport Customs found seven statues in Kitada Takayoshi’s luggage that were not declared at customs.

Customs check revealed that the seven statues weighed nearly 7kg and were worth more than VNĐ6.7 trillion (US$297.6 million).

VNA

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