HIROSHIMA (TR) – Hiroshima Prefectural Police have arrested a former police officer and a boss in a criminal syndicate over the alleged blackmail of a male company employee earlier this year, reports Nippon News Network (Aug. 7).
On several occasions between late February and early March, Yoshihiro Masuda, a 60-year-old former officer, and Tsutomu Wada, the 51-year-old boss of the Wada-gumi, an affiliate gang of the Kyosei-kai, allegedly worked together to threaten the victim, aged in his 30s.
“Anyone can be killed, even those who pay money can be killed,” one of the suspects reportedly said on the telephone.
The pair and a third suspect then collected 4 million yen from the victim at the office of the Wada-gumi in Hiroshima City’s Nishi Ward.
Masuda partially denies the allegations, saying that while “it is factual, the wording contains differences.” Meanwhile, Wada and the third suspect deny the charges.
While a member of the force, Masuda headed an anti-organized crime division. He resigned from his post in March of last year.
Police are now investigating how Masuda and Wada became acquainted.
