TOKYO: Japan will introduce smart glasses and other digital technologies at customs offices in the country to help them better tackle smuggling and boost operational efficiency, the Finance Ministry has said.

Smart glasses will be used from February next year for customs officials to check cargoes in an effective way by sharing the images of the items in real time with experienced officials at different places while talking with them.

The initiative is part of the ministry’s updated action plan for customs administration released on Monday, which is focuses on responses to the surging number of incoming cargo and issues related to economic security.

While this year marks the 150th anniversary of Japan’s customs, the amount of small cargo is growing rapidly due to an increase in cross-border e-commerce transactions and rising demand for delivery services related to the stay-at-home trend reflecting the novel coronavirus pandemic.

In January-June, the number of import permits grew by about 2.2-fold from a year before for sea freight and by some 20 pct for air freight. There were cases in which customs declarations were falsified and illegal drugs were confiscated.

In addition to the introduction of smart glasses, the ministry will test the use of underwater drones to beef up the monitoring of coastlines. It will also work more closely with e-commerce operators, including through information-sharing, to enhance customs operations.

The ministry will also set up an economic security intelligence center at Tokyo Customs as part of its efforts to prevent goods and technologies that could possibly be repurposed for military use from being exported illegally at a time when the rivalry between the United States and China is increasing.

The center is slated to go into full operation in fiscal 2023 at the earliest. It will work in collaboration with various government agencies.

JIJI Press