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Tokyo cops: High-stakes Kabukicho casino funded yakuza

Toshimitsu Asami
Toshimitsu Asami

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have busted a casino operating illegally in Shinjuku Ward that funded organized crime, reports TV Asahi (Nov. 18).

Early on Thursday morning, officers raided parlor J, located in the Kabukicho entertainment area, and took manager Toshimitsu Asami, 47, and four other employees into custody for allowing customers to place baccarat wagers with chips at tables in which the stakes reached as high as 300,000 yen.

Asami admits to the allegations. Nine customers inside the premises at the time of the raid were also arrested.

To prevent against a bust from law enforcement, the parlor included a heavy steel front door and a surveillance camera system for monitoring customers entering and exiting the premises, according to TBS News (Nov. 18).

The operation generated approximately 40 million yen in revenue since opening in June.

Police are now investigating another management-level person involved in the parlor who is believed to have funneled revenue to organized crime, according to Fuji News Network (Nov. 18).