3 Taiwanese women get suspended sentences for smuggling gold in bras

So will they be deported and banned from reentry?

What a farce. What is this, like the fourth such incident in the past month already in Japan?

Proof that if you don't properly punish people and give them slaps on the wrist, they'll continue to flaunt and break the laws.

Presiding Judge Takeshi Hashimoto said in the ruling, "There is no room for leniency as the three committed the crime with a motive to receive money"

Ok, so how many years?

but added that the sentences were suspended as they have shown remorse.

Right, which will go a very long way in teaching those that follow that if they get caught, all they have to do is shed some crocodile tears and things will go away quietly.

Seems like damn near every person that ever gets caught here turns into a master of "remorse" and the judges eat it up.

"There is no room for leniency"

So I am going to shake my finger at you, speak to you in a stern tone of voice, and let you go with a warning. That ought to show you I mean business.

hey guys i'm pretty sure if the court had immediately put them in prison instead, there would have been some here (probably most) complaining that the court was too harsh: oh - just few pieces of gold transported in bras...

There's gold in them thar hills!

Why not just wear gold bras？

Gold is illegal to have?

What were their sizes?

24K?

Quote: "Prosecutors sought one-year prison terms and the confiscation of the gold, claiming the defendants had been offered travel expenses to Japan and NT$20,000 ($670) in exchange for taking part in the smuggling operation." (Note "been offered".)

Ouch, no, that is going too far and might have hit the skulking master criminals in the pocket.

they'll continue to flaunt and break the laws.

You mean "flout" the laws, I think.

I don't see any need for harsh punishment. Why shouldn't people be allowed to move gold in and out of a country freely? That's the question that should be getting asked.

So I am going to shake my finger at you, speak to you in a stern tone of voice, and let you go with a warning. That ought to show you I mean business. and I bet Japan will keep the gold, thats the best deterrent, 50million yen is a very expensive mistake.

Everybody makes mistakes... just 'rack' it up to experience.

Golden arches

So how did they know that they had gold in their bras?

Beavis and Butthead observations aside, this is clearly not a clever move but some people are desperate and will go to such lengths.

I hope their families are safe.

commanteer, shogun36, the imported gold is taken to gold stores in Tokyo or Fukuoka who give back the value plus 8% consumption tax. This is what the mastermind of these ladies collects, and pays their expenses with. Once around will net you for example $80,000 on a million US. Naturally those who import it should be paying import tax, but aren't.

What is actually going on behind the scenes is more devious and not mentioned here, but the same gold is then sent back to Hong Kong etc., where it is imported once more, usually through South Korea, collecting $80,000 every time you pass Go.

Installation of metal detectors with a calibrated gold frequency for incoming passengers has started to catch the lowly mules.

Why not just get rid of that law? Who is it hurting? Next thing will be "you can only bring 50 Pokemon cards or less" (they're worth money too).

This could have been avoided had they used Bitcoin.

BUSTed!