TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested members of a yakuza syndicate over the alleged assault of a fellow gangster whom they believed was leaking information, reports Jiji Press (Mar. 31).
Among the six arrested on suspicion of robbery and assault are Yoshiaki Suzuki, the 54-year-old leader of a subordinate gang of the Sumiyoshi-kai-affiliated Kohei-ikka, and 56-year-old Masanori Tamura, a member of the same gang.
Between 11:30 p.m. on February 22 and 7:30 a.m. the following day, the six suspects allegedly confined the fellow gangster, aged in his 40s, inside a building in Toshima Ward. They also beat him severely and stole a necklace and other items worth approximately 900,000 yen.
The victim suffered injuries that required about one month to heal, police said.
Tokyo police have not disclosed whether the six suspects have admitted to the charges.
The victim was held captive by the suspects because they suspected him of leaking information to another yakuza group.
The Kohei-ikka is the largest yakuza group in the capital. It is believed to be heavily involved in tokushu sagi, or specialized fraud, and drug trafficking. Tokushu sagi is carried out on the telephone by a caller impersonating an authority figure or a relative.
Tokyo police plan to strengthen its special task force starting next month with the aim of dismantling the organization.
