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Tokyo: Real estate exec accused of renting space to fraud ring

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested the president of a real estate company based in Taito Ward for allegedly leasing office space to a fraud ring, reports TBS News (Mar. 18).

Three years ago, Shun Kito, 39, and an accomplice allegedly fabricated a lease contract for a unit in Chuo Ward such that the lessor was falsely shown to have stable income.

The lessor was Takashi Kawamura, a 38-year-old member of a fraud ring known by the term tokushu sagi, which targets victims over the telephone. Kawamura was also arrested in the case.

Upon his arrest on suspicion of fraud, Kito partially denied the allegations. “There’s no question that I forged the paperwork, but I did not know that the lessor was carrying out fraud,” the suspect was quoted by police.

Meanwhile, Kawamura has declined to comment on the matter.

Shun Kito (Twitter)

Upon the finalization of the contract, Kawamura was not employed. Among the fake documents submitted were tax returns claiming that he had earned millions of yen, police said.

After the ring started using the unit as its headquarters, police carried out a raid.

Police are investigating whether Kito leased other units to other fraud rings.