HYOGO (TR) – Investigative sources with the Hyogo Prefectural Police have revealed that a 29-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly assisting a gang member who is wanted over a shooting incident in Kobe last year that left a bodyguard of a rival syndicate dead, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Mar. 8).
On September 12, a vehicle containing Yuhiro Kusumoto, a 44-year-old bodyguard in the Ninkyo Yamaguchi-gumi, was ambushed by a gunman on a road in Nagata Ward. Kusumoto, a bodyguard for top boss Yoshinori Oda, was struck by at least one bullet in the head. He was later confirmed dead about hour later at a nearby hospital.
Police later placed Tatsumi Hishikawa, a member of the Yamaken-gumi, the key subordinate gang of the Kobe Yamaguchi-Yumi, on a nationwide wanted list on suspicion of murder. On Thursday, police arrested Ayumi Takami, a part-time employee, for allegedly assisting Hishikawa in fleeing the scene with a vehicle.
“Regarding the subject, there is nothing I have to say,” the suspect was quoted by police.
Police suspect that since Takami is believed to be the girlfriend of Hishikawa she likely knows how he has managed to evade capture.
