Latest news with #OrganizedCrimePunishmentAct
Tokyo Reported
18-07-2025
- Tokyo Reported
Pair suspected of using illegal online casino profits to buy Tokyo apartment
KANAGAWA (TR) – Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested two men who are suspected of concealing illegal profits earned from an online casino site and using them to purchase an apartment in Tokyo, reports Nippon News Network (July 18). According to the police, Yoshinori Kurata, 42, and Yoshifumi Kuroki, 52, are suspected of concealing illegal profits earned from an online casino site in 2022 and using more than 98 million yen to purchase the apartment in a high-rise in Harumi, Chuo Ward. Police did not reveal whether the suspects admit to violating the Organized Crime Punishment Act regarding concealment of criminal proceeds. According to police, the two suspects conspired to create false documents stating that the funds were a loan to Kurata from a non-existent paper company when they purchased the apartment around July 2022. The apartment was on an upper floor of the 51-story high-rise apartment building. Kurata made the payment in cash. Yoshinori Kurata (X) Money laundering Kurata runs a company that manages payments. Last month, he was one of seven suspects accused of money laundering, reports the Sankei Shimbun (June 25). According to police, he and the other suspects laundered over 2.6 billion yen in bets on overseas online casinos by transferring the money to an account managed by his company. In April and May of last year, the company concealed a total of about 2.629 billion yen in casino bets collected from about 3,600 users by depositing the money into two accounts managed by his company 41,000 times in total. Police said previously that Kurata and his group may have been involved in the operation of payment systems related to at least six online casino sites. The two accounts were in the name of a paper company. It is believed that the company managed about 500 accounts, including these, and repeatedly transferred funds.
Tokyo Reported
28-06-2025
- Tokyo Reported
Broadcast of passed-out livestreamer leads police to yakuza theft ring
KANAGAWA (TR) – In October 2023, a male livestreamer fell asleep on a street in Yokohama City during a broadcast. Several thieves then swiped his smartphone and other items. Unbeknownst to them, the broadcast was still going when they fled the scene, ill-gotten gains in hand. Fast forward a year and a half. Kanagawa Prefectural Police this week announced the arrest of the 56-year-old boss of a criminal syndicate and three accomplices who are believed to have repeatedly worked with a ring that targeted drunk persons passed out in entertainment districts in Yokohama for thefts, reports the Asahi Shimbun (June 25). In one case, the four suspects, including Yoshifumi Shinkai, an executive in the Kodo-kai, are suspected working together to purchase necklaces and other items — worth approximately 1.84 million yen — with illegally obtained credit cards in other people's names on June 30 last year. The suspects used three stores, including pawnshops in Yokohama and Kawasaki cities, to make the purchases. Upon his arrest on suspicion of violating the Organized Crime Punishment Act, Shinkai declined to comment. Yoshifumi Shinkai (X) 'Fishermen' The Kodo-kai is an affiliate gang of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's largest syndicate. Shinkai, the leader of the theft ring, lives in Yokohama's Naka Ward. The arrest is at least his second. In carrying out the crimes, the four suspects referred to drunk people sleeping on the street as ' maguro ' (tuna) and those who steal money and valuables from them as 'tuna fishermen.' 'Disposal agents' bought the cards and other items stolen by the 'fishermen' and use them illegally or sold them. In the case from last year, the card was one of the belongings stolen from a male corporate employee, 58, who was drunk and sleeping in a park in Naka Ward, Yokohama on June 29. Shinkai and his accomplices bought the victim's wallet, cards, smartphone and other items for a total of 30,000 yen from thieves, police said. As a part of that investigation, police found credit cards and other items belonging to 456 people in the suspects' homes and in the possession of other parties. Police are investigating whether the four were involved in repeated crimes as a group. It is believed that Shinkai managed and distributed the money gained from sales of the stolen items. The existence of the ring emerged following an investigation into the theft from the aforementioned livestreamer in 2023. After the thieves fled the scene, they reported their success to a higher-up, all of which was captured on the livestream. In February of last year, police arrested three men on suspicion of theft as the 'tuna fishermen' in the crime. The group led by Shinkai emerged from the statements from the suspects.
Tokyo Reported
27-06-2025
- Tokyo Reported
Money laundering group suspected of handling ¥5.4 billion in proceeds from fraud ring
TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested six members of a money laundering group that are suspected of handling proceeds from a fraud ring and concealing them, reports NHK (June 19). According to police, Karima Fukazawa, a 30-year-old resident of Koto Ward, Daiki Muroi, a 32-year-old resident of Sumida Ward, and four others are suspected of laundering more than 5 billion yen in criminal proceeds from the fraud ring. Thus far, police have accused the suspects of transferring approximately 42 million yen, including funds obtained by eight fraud victims last year, to other accounts and hiding them. Karima Fukazawa, left, and Daiki Muroi (X) Police did not reveal whether the suspects admit to violating the Organized Crime Punishment Act. Accounts managed by the suspects contained approximately 5.4 billion yen. These funds are believed to have been defrauded by the fraud ring from victims across the country. Police believe that the suspects laundered the criminal proceeds at the request of the fraud ring. The investigation is continuing on the suspicion that the group exchanged large amounts of the funds for cryptocurrencies and then rerouted them back to the fraud group via overseas exchanges.
Tokyo Reported
27-06-2025
- Tokyo Reported
Tokyo cops close investigation into commercial sex scouting group
TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Thursday announced that they have closed a special investigation in huge scouting group Access. The group is believed to have referred nearly 80,000 women to sex businesses over a five-year period, reports the Sankei Shimbun (June 26). In January, police opened the special investigation headquarters into Access. In justifying its closure, police said that a certain degree of progress had been made in clarifying and dismantling the group. Police also announced the re-arrest of the group's leader, 34-year-old Kazuma Endo. In the latest allegations, police say that Endo received a total of approximately 120 million yen in criminal proceeds from the operation between February and November of last year. The proceeds include referral fees, called 'scoutbacks,' from commercial sex businesses. To conceal the transfer of money, concealed cash was sent via postal mail on approximately 480 occasions to a 'virtual office.' Kazuma Endo (X) Regarding his re-arrest for violating the Organized Crime Punishment Act for concealment of criminal proceeds, he has remained silent. Law enforcement considers Access to be an anonymous, mobile crime group ( tokuryu ). The group included about 300 members with access to around 1,800 sex businesses across the country. Over a five-year period starting in 2019, the group is believed to have referred around 78,000 women to sex businesses nationwide and received approximately 6 billion yen in compensation. All told, police arrested a total of 12 executives and scouts during the investigations. As well, five corporations operating sex-related businesses in various regions were busted.
Tokyo Reported
14-06-2025
- Tokyo Reported
Chinese ring suspected of using cryptocurrency to launder ¥50 billion in fraud proceeds
TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have announced the arrests of five Chinese nationals who are suspected of operating from a base in the capital and using cryptocurrency to launder around 50 billion yen obtained from fraud victims, reports NHK (June 13). According to police, Lin Mingwang, 38, and his accomplices allegedly laundered 80 million yen at the request of an investment fraud group based in Thailand and Vietnam, converted the money into cryptocurrency and then returned it to the fraud group. Police did not reveal whether the suspects admit to violating the Organized Crime Punishment Act. Police believe the group made it difficult to trace the funds by passing them through multiple corporate accounts, as well as cryptocurrency and overseas accounts. Lin Mingwang (X) Lin who is an executive at a real estate company in Adachi Ward. He is said to be the ringleader. Another suspect, 45-year-old Qu Sihao, lives in Kyoto City, Kyot Prefecture. In one case, the suspects received funds into their account from a man in his 70s from Nara City, Nara Prefecture. The man had been swindled on social media by one of the aforementioned investment fraud groups. Lin's ring is believed to have managed approximately 300 corporate accounts. Some of these accounts were provided by Qu. The total amount of funds transferred between the accounts was approximately 50 billion yen. Police are continuing the investigation.
