TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Monday announced the arrest of a member of criminal syndicate over the alleged assault of a member of rival gang in the Uguisudani area of Taito Ward last year, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Apr. 22).
At around 10 p.m. on October 16, Masaki Fukuda, the 55-year-old chairman of a syndicate affiliated with the Kanto Sekine-gumi, and two other men allegedly beat the face and abdomen of a member of the Sumiyoshi-kai, then 51, on a street.
“This is our turf,” one of the suspects reportedly said to the victim, who suffered unspecified light injuries in the incident, police said.
Fukuda and one other suspect admit to the allegations. The third suspect denies the charges, police said.
The area where the incident took place is near JR Uguisudani Station, whose neighboring areas has alleys of love hotels that are utilized by fuzoku, or commercial sex, businesses.
Police suspect that the incident took place following a dispute between the gangs over the collection of mikajimeryo — or “protection money” — from persons working in the sex industry.
