TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a high-ranking member of a major yakuza syndicate for illegally operating a seaside eatery in Chiba Prefecture, reports Nippon News Network (Oct. 7).
Yoshinori Hirabayashi, an executive of a gang affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai’s Kohei-ikka, is accused of running a “beach house” at a popular swimming area in the town of Ichinomiya without official municipal authorization.
Upon questioning by investigators, Hirabayashi admitted to the allegations, police said.
According to police, the suspect used a relative’s name to submit the business application to the town hall, a common tactic used by syndicate members to bypass regulations barring organized crime from legitimate businesses.
During the peak summer season between July and August of this year, the illicit beach shack served ramen and other fare to beachgoers, raking in an estimated 4 million yen in sales.
