The increasing number of people at Narita International Airport are being targeted for hiding massive amounts of powdered gold in their bodies using contraceptives. Between January and March, Tokyo Customs intercepted 33 cases of gold smuggling, seizing approximately 46 kilograms of the precious metal. The increase in this underground operation is attributed to rising global gold prices and a desire to evade Japan's mandatory consumption tax. The suspects, mostly women, are mostly middle-aged and older individuals. The airport has deployed advanced metal detectors and increased physical body and baggage checks to combat the influx.