TOKYO (TR) – Last week, Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested the boss of scouting group Natural, who had been sought for paying protection money to organized crime in the capital.
Investigators have now revealed that a search of the hideout of Hiroaki Obata, 40, in Kagoshima Prefecture resulted in the discovery of a large amount of cash that is believed to have been used in his flight from capture, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (Jan. 30).
On January 30, Tokyo police conducted a search of his hotel room in Amami City, Kagoshima and found 1.7 million yen in cash in a safe.
The cash was in the form of a wad of bills stuffed in a wallet. In addition to clothing, a receipt for a pair of glasses worth approximately 22,000 yen purchased in the same city was also seized.
Obata had requested the hotel not to allow employees to enter his room or knock on the door. Police believe that Obata was using the hotel as a base to hide out and issue instructions to executives.
The apprehension followed the issuing of an arrest warrant connected to the group last week. The warrant also listed Obata as wanted.
According to police, Natural is suspected of paying protection money to an organized crime group, which is a violation of Tokyo Metropolitan Organized Crime Exclusion Ordinance.
The allegations in the arrest warrant are based on one such incident. On July 24, 2023, Obata and his associates are suspected of conspiring to pay 600,000 yen in cash to a 39-year-old senior member of a Yamaguchi-gumi affiliate as protection money to secure approval for scouting activities in Udagawacho, Shibuya Ward.
According to police, more than 30 tips were received after the issuing of the arrest warrant on January 21. Working off one such tip, investigators descended upon the aforementioned location in Amami on January 23. Three days later, the suspect was found alone and in possession of almost no belongings. His hair had grown longer than that shown in the wanted photo, police said.
Obata began staying at a hotel under a false name on December 21. He had a reservation until February 3.
