TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a member of a criminal syndicate over the alleged distribution of forged gift certificates for credit card company JCB Co., reports the Sankei Shimbun (July 30).
On two occasions in March and April, Naotoshi Kimura, a 42-year-old member of the Kodo-kai, allegedly distributed a total of 100 forged JCB certificates — with a face value of 5,000 yen each — to an associate in Koto Ward.
According to the Joto Police Station, Kimura sold 50 of them to the associate for face value. The remaining 50 were handed over with no money changing hands.
Kimura, who has been accused of distributing a marketable security, has declined to comment on the allegations, police said.
As of April, police were aware of a total of 600 fake JCB certificates nationwide. Police are now attempting to determine how the suspect obtained the fakes.
The acquaintance has already been handed a prison term for using the certificates to guy a game machine, police said.
The Kodo-kai is an affiliate gang of the Yamaguchi-gumi.
