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Osaka cops bust yakuza card game

A set of tehonbiki cards
A set of tehonbiki cards
WAKAYAMA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police on Wednesday announced the break up of a gambling operation in Wakayama Prefecture headed by former organized crime members, reports the Sankei Shimbun (July 8).

Officers took Kiyoshi Taguchi, a 67-year-old former upper member of the Kenshin-kai, and his wife, a 54-year-old Korean national, for allegedly providing a gambling venue for a game consisting of dice and special cards called tehonbiki. The games took place in a guest room of a hotel in Shirahamacho over two days in October of last year.

Both suspects have denied the allegations, telling police that they did not have a connection to gambling. Police are now seeking the whereabouts of the participants in the games.

Hisao Yamamoto, a 74-year-old former member of the Yamaguchi-gumi, had previously been arrested by police for also participating in providing the gambling venue.

Until the end of June, Taguchi was a member of the Kenshin-kai, which is an affiliate gang of the Yamaguchi-gumi.

Police believe that the revenue from the games was used as a source of funds for the gang.