TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 60-year-old former yakuza member known to his loyal customers as “Uncle Amo” on suspicion of selling methamphetamine earlier this year, reports Fuji News Network (July 31).
Kiyoshi Amo is accused of selling approximately 10 grams of kakuseizai (methamphetamine) to a man in his 50s for 150,000 yen on a street in Nerima Ward in May.
Amo has denied the allegations. “I had no part in this matter, and I will exercise my right to remain silent,” he reportedly told police upon his arrest.
According to investigators, the suspect was affectionately referred to as Amo-no-Otchan (“Uncle Amo”) by his regular buyers.
He is believed to have cultivated a steady customer base by selling the illicit drugs at below-market prices, frequently conducting quick handoffs in the parking lots of family restaurants.
The arrest followed a statement made by a man in his 50s — who had been arrested the previous day for possessing the stimulant in his car — claiming that he had been purchasing the drug from Amo.
Authorities suspect the former gang member has been actively dealing to a broader network of users and are currently investigating him for additional offenses.
