Chinese Woman, 47, Arrested Over Smuggling 21kg of Banned Sausage in Suitcase for a ¥4,800 Payment
This article organizes publicly available information into a single account. Where it describes an arrest or an ongoing investigation, that reflects only one stage of criminal procedure and does not mean guilt has been established (the presumption of innocence applies). We will update this article as new information becomes available, including the outcome of prosecution, non-prosecution, or trial. This article is not intended to unfairly disparage any individual, group, nationality, ethnicity, or belief, and aims to provide objective, fact-based information.
Osaka Prefectural Police announced on October 22, 2026 that they had arrested Sun Nannan, 47, a Chinese national of no known address working part-time, on suspicion of violating the Act on Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control. According to Jiji Press and other outlets, she is accused of concealing roughly 21 kilograms of sausage containing pork and chicken — products banned in principle from import from China to prevent the spread of livestock infectious diseases — in a suitcase and backpack when she arrived at Kansai International Airport from Shanghai on October 15, 2026. The animal quarantine station at the airport seized the sausage.
She is believed to have been visiting Japan as a tourist, and reportedly received the smuggling offer after posting about her trip to Japan on Chinese social media. She was promised a success fee of 200 yuan, or roughly 4,800 yen, and police are treating the case as a so-called "dark part-time job," investigating who directed the scheme and how it came about. Under questioning, she has reportedly denied the allegation, saying she did not know the sausage contained meat.
The Act on Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control bans in principle the import of livestock products from certain countries and regions in order to prevent the entry of livestock diseases such as African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease.
Current status: The identity of whoever directed the scheme, whether similar smuggling occurred, and whether the case will be referred for prosecution all remain unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
Editorial Perspective
No decision on indictment has been made at this stage, so this article reflects information from the investigative phase. An arrest is only one step in criminal procedure and does not establish guilt (the presumption of innocence). According to National Police Agency and Ministry of Justice statistics, the number of Penal Code cases involving foreign nationals visiting Japan has risen for two consecutive years since 2023, but remains below its mid-2000s peak (related article). A single case does not necessarily reflect the broader statistical trend; further developments are worth watching.