TOKYO, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- The amount of gold seized in smuggling in Japan in the first half of 2024 totaled 937 kg, up more than eightfold from the same period last year, local media reported Thursday.

The Finance Ministry has announced that 228 cases of gold seizures were reported by customs officials nationwide between January and June this year, about 1.8 times those of the same period in 2023, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Ministry officials believed that an increasing number of smugglers are hoping to resell gold in Japan as prices of the metal have surged globally, the report said.

In April, retail prices at a major Japanese precious stone firm topped 13,000 yen, or nearly 90 U.S. dollars per gram for the first time, according to the report. Enditem

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