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Osaka police officer arrested for accepting yakuza bribes, leaking information

Osaka police officer arrested for accepting yakuza bribes, leaking information
The suspect used a computer to reveal license plate numbers of undercover vehicles until May
OSAKA (TR) – Osaka prefectural police arrested a former sergeant on Wednesday for receiving bribes from local organized crime members and leaking information, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Nov. 10).

According to investigators, ex-officer Shinpei Kuroki, 40, used a computer to reveal license plate numbers of undercover vehicles until May of this year to a 41-year-old Yamaguchi-gumi gang member formerly employed at a real estate firm, located in Osaka’s Nishi Ward.

Further, between August 2006 and February of 2008, the suspect received bribes totaling three million yen on approximately 20 occasions. The Yomiuri Shimbun reports that Kuroki also was also selling unregistered mobile phones.

Working from an outside tip, police investigators uncovered evidence of the bribes late last year and launched an internal investigation in April. Kuroki was dismissed from the police force on October 27.

The license plate numbers were used to alert fuzoku (sex-related) businesses of possible police activities.

The whereabouts of the former real estate employee are not known, but police are investigating, the Asahi reported.