HYOGO (TR) – Hyogo Prefectural Police on Thursday revealed that a boss of a criminal syndicate was attacked in a business district in Amagasaki City, an incident that is believed to be related to an ongoing gang dispute, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Mar. 8).
At around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, two assailants wielding baseball bats attacked Keiichi Furukawa, the 57-year-old chairman of the Furukawa-gumi, as he walked with several persons on a street near Amagasaki Station.
Furukawa suffered light injuries to his right arm and right leg, according to police.
The incident took place after Furukawa exited a restaurant. Witnesses said the perpetrators appeared to be young, police said.
In April of last year, the Ninkyo Yamaguchi-gumi formed after key affiliate gangs broke off ties with the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi, which itself formed following the dissolution of the Yamaguchi-gumi in 2015.
After the split, the Furukawa-gumi remaining an affiliate gang of the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi. Police suspect the incident is connected to a turf battle that has developed between with the Ninkyo Yamaguchi-gumi over money-making activities in the area around Amagasaki Station.
Police are seeking the whereabouts of the assailants.
