CHIBA (TR) – Chiba Prefectural Police have arrested five men, including a senior yakuza member heading a shadow crime ring, on suspicion of prowling around a former jewelry store in Chiba Prefecture in preparation for a heist earlier this year, reports Fuji News Network (Aug. 6).
Shota Sugawara, a 32-year-old senior member of a gang affiliated with the Yamaguchi-gumi syndicate, and 21-year-old Hiroto Ito are among the five suspects taken into custody. They are accused of loitering around the targeted building in Kisarazu City in February to scout the location for a robbery.
According to police, the suspects operate as a tokuryu crime ring, whose members communicate anonymously via smartphone apps. Sugawara is believed to be the mastermind at the top of the organization, while Ito allegedly served as the tactical coordinator.
Investigators revealed that Ito used an app to issue directives to the would-be robbers under the username “Lupin III,” a nod to the famous phantom thief of anime lore.
The ground crew allegedly assembled at a parking lot in Kasukabe City, Saitama Prefecture before driving to the scene of the planned crime.
Police are continuing their investigation into the syndicate, believing the group may be responsible for a string of other unsolved crimes.
