Detection Dogs at Narita Airport to Sniff Out ‘Suspicious’ Banknotes; Helping Customs Stop Money Laundering Operations

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:48 JST, August 9, 2024

Tokyo Customs introduced Japan’s first detection dogs for banknotes at Narita Airport on Thursday to keep cash from being illegally taken overseas.

The Customs Law prohibits people from entering or leaving Japan with cash or items worth more than ¥1,000,000 without declaration.

According to customs, instances of smuggling have been reported recently, where large sums of cash were hidden in baggage to be taken out of the country for money laundering, and stopping it at the border has become a challenge.

At an unveiling event on Thursday, two Labrador retrievers trained to detect banknotes sniffed the baggage of people who posed as passengers lining up for passport check. The dogs sat down whenever they sniffed out a suspicious suitcase to let customs officials know.