OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police are seeking the help of the public in locating two persons who are believed to have operated an illegal casino that likely funded organized crime before it was busted earlier this year, reports Mainichi Broadcasting System (Dec. 15).
Police are seeking the whereabouts of Masaya Inaba, 37, and Masayoshi Sunawachi, 38, who are believed to have managed 01, a casino located on the fourth floor of a building in the Shinsaibashi area that was busted in June.
In carrying out the raid, about 170 officers entered the premises and arrested 10 employees, aged between 26 and 47, for allegedly providing customers with baccarat gambling.
Police also arrested 14 male and female customers inside the premises at the time of the raid. An additional 26 customers and employees were questioned, bringing the total number of persons under scrutiny to 50, the largest figure for the raid of a gambling parlor in Osaka Prefecture over the past 10 years.
During the raid, police seized 9 million yen in cash and five baccarat tables. Law enforcement seized an additional 200 million yen in cash during searches of other properties connected to the casino.
Police believe operators of the casino had thus far been able to evade being busted by moving its location from place to place for up to 30 years. It is believed to have accumulated 2 billion yen in revenue over that period. A portion of that revenue is believed to have funded a criminal syndicate, police said.
Persons with information on the case are advised to call the Minami Police Station at 06-6281-1234.
