日警方逮捕涉嫌伪造金条标识并套现的中国团伙

Core Points - A criminal gang, including Chinese nationals, was arrested for selling 37 kilograms of gold bars using forged documents, defrauding two domestic precious metal companies in Japan for approximately 600 million yen [2][4] - The gang is suspected of obtaining gold bars through smuggling and telecom fraud, marking a new method of disguising illegal gold as legitimate transactions to exploit consumption tax differences and launder criminal proceeds [2][4] - The total sales amount is estimated to reach 9.5 billion yen, with the gang using real dealer names and fictitious serial numbers on the gold bars to gain buyer trust [4][5] Group 1 - The gang was arrested on charges of fraud, forgery, and using stamped private documents, with investigations revealing they processed gold bars to enhance their legitimacy [4] - The gang's operations included smuggling gold from tax-free countries and selling it in Japan with a 10% consumption tax markup, profiting from the price difference [4][7] - The Japanese police have noted a significant increase in gold smuggling cases, with 493 cases reported in 2024, more than double the previous year, and confiscated amounts reaching approximately 1,200 kilograms [7] Group 2 - The gang managed multiple companies, with proceeds from gold sales deposited into company accounts and then converted into cryptocurrency, indicating a sophisticated money laundering operation [7] - There have been at least 20 reported cases of impersonating police officers to coerce individuals into purchasing gold bars under the guise of investigations, complicating the tracking of the stolen gold [5] - The risk of money laundering in the precious metals sector is high, prompting Japan's Criminal Proceeds Transfer Prevention Law to require businesses in this field to report suspicious activities [7]