TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a suspected member of a fraud ring he was found with a police identification card in Kodaira City, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (Feb. 27).
At just past 7:00 p.m. on Monday, an officer on patrol began questioning Yoshio Ohara, 42, of no known occupation, on a road in the city.
After Ohara bolted from the scene, the officer tracked him down about 400 meters away. The officer then found the suspect to be in possession with the fake identification card, which was for a fraud prevention division covering the Kanto area.
Money and valuables on hand
Ohara is a resident of Joyo City, Kyoto Prefecture. In the past, police were aware of several residents in the area who were victimized by a scam known as apoden (appointment telephone), in which victims are asked about money and valuables on hand over the telephone prior to a home invasion or other crime.
After police received several calls about residents in the area, the officer was on patrol in the area. During his rounds, the officer spotted Ohara, attired in a suit, behaving suspiciously.
Upon his arrest on suspicion of forgery of an official document, Ohara admitted to the allegations. “Since I am in debt, I turned to being a pick-up man for frauds,” the suspect was quoted by police.
