Japan brings first-ever charges for smuggling cars with engines over 1.9 liters

Scheme for circumventing export restrictions

Japanese law enforcement has uncovered a large-scale scheme of illegally supplying used cars to Russia in circumvention of current sanctions. This was reported by the JIJI outlet, which is cited by Gazeta.Ru. According to the investigation, the main suspect in the case is Kim Jun-ho, a South Korean citizen residing in Osaka, who conspired with a second accomplice whose identity has not yet been established. The accomplices organized the shipment of cars to Russia without the permission required in such cases from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Scale of shipments and legal precedent

Seventy-three used cars were shipped out of the port of Hamada on a cargo vessel; their total customs value is estimated at approximately 229 million yen, or about 118.5 million rubles. The illegal shipments took place in September and November of last year. The local security bureau emphasized that this case marks the first time in Japanese judicial practice that charges have been brought for smuggling cars with an engine displacement exceeding 1.9 liters.

Context of the restrictions

The restrictions violated by those involved in the case were tightened by Tokyo in the summer of 2023: shipments to Russia of gasoline and diesel cars with engines over 1,900 cc, as well as all hybrids and electric vehicles, are completely banned. It is precisely the 1.9-liter threshold that determines whether a car falls under the ban, so the first-ever charges brought in cases involving cars with engines above this displacement are directly linked to the current export control scheme. Gazeta.Ru previously reported on the main difficulties in importing a used foreign car from Europe to Russia.