HOKKAIDO (TR) – Hokkaido Prefectural Police last week raided an office of a criminal syndicate in Asahikawa City as a part of an investigation into drug trafficking, reports Sapporo Television Broadcasting (Sept. 2).
At around 11:00 a.m. on September 2, investigators pushed inside the office of the Kyokudo-kai, an affiliate gang of the Yamaguchi-gumi.
“Hey, stop it!” one gang member could be heard shouting as the news camera rolled.
On August 12, police accused 77-year-old Yukio Hidano of possessing 2.3 grams of kakuseizai, or stimulant drugs, at an apartment complex in the city.
Officers then searched Hidano’s residence and found an additional 111.2 grams of kakuseizai and 316 syringes concealed under the floor.
Upon his arrest, Hidano admitted to the allegations. “[I possessed the drugs] for trafficking,” the suspect was quoted by police.
The estimated total value of the contraband, including that seized at the apartment building, is around 7.3 million yen, police said.
Police are now investigating whether the trafficking of the drugs is a funding source for the gang.
