TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Wednesday arrested the boss of a construction company and a member of the Inagawa-kai crime syndicate for extortion over payments for housing projects, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Oct. 3).
Officers from the organized crime division took Fumiaki Arimoto, the 51-year-old president of the Arimoto-gumi construction firm, and gang member Takayuki Funyu, 39, for allegedly threatening violence in attempting to collect 9.3 million yen owed for renovation work commissioned by the Tokyo Metropolitan Housing Supply Corporation (TMHSC).
According to police, Arimoto-gumi received sub-contract orders for TMHSC projects via a Tokyo-based construction company. When payments for the work fell into arrears, Arimoto is alleged to have hired his associate Funyu to assist in the collection.
Between March and September, the pair blackmailed the executive of the Tokyo construction company and his family, according to Yomiuri Television. “Your invoices will be forwarded to people who will rough you up,” the suspects allegedly threatened.
Anti-gang legislation
Arimoto and Funyu had entered into a formal agreement in which the gangster would receive a portion of the collected money. With last year’s passing of anti-gangster legislation, which prohibits ordinary citizens from doing business with organized crime members, investigators are now looking into whether other violations are possible.