TOKYO — Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 30-year-old member of the Sumiyoshi-kai yakuza syndicate for allegedly orchestrating the smuggling of approximately five kilograms of methamphetamine from the United States.
Ryo Toita, a member of a group affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai’s Kohei-ikka faction, is accused of importing the kakuseizai (methamphetamine) with an estimated street value of 268 million yen.
In 2024, Toita allegedly directed a smuggling ring to conceal the drugs inside cylindrical filters and ship them via air cargo from the U.S. to Narita International Airport. The package was then mailed to a residential address in Nerima Ward.
Police zeroed in on Toita as the ringleader after the individual tasked with receiving the package was previously arrested. Following a rigorous two-year tracking investigation, authorities apprehended Toita in the capital on April 13.
Upon his arrest, the suspect outright refused to cooperate with investigators. “I will remain silent,” Toita reportedly stated. “I will also remain silent on the reason why I am remaining silent.”
Trafficking increase
From January to March, the number of arrests for methamphetamine-related offenses in Tokyo stood at approximately 250, a jump of around 25 percent over the previous year.
Police believe that the Kohei-ikka is operating as a major domestic supply source for illegal drugs, conducting systematic smuggling operations while maintaining deep ties with tokuryu rings, which are anonymous and fluid crime groups currently operating across Japan.
A wider investigation into the syndicate’s shadowy network is ongoing.
