Press "Enter" to skip to content

Tokyo cops: Illegal porn DVD operation front for yakuza group

Kiyomi Yoshida
Kiyomi Yoshida

TOKYO (TR) – In a crackdown on a business believed to be supporting organized crime, Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Tuesday announced the bust of an illegal pornographic DVD business in Shinjuku Ward, reports TV Asahi (May 26).

Officers took Atsushi Saito, the 43-year-old manager of the two-store operation, located in the Kabukicho red-light district, and nine others into custody for the sale of obscene media. Officers also seized 180,000 DVDs from a nearby warehouse.

By law, films available and made in Japan are required to have genitalia properly censored.

Saito has reportedly denied the allegations, according to Sankei Sports (May 26).

Among the nine others arrested was Kiyomi Yoshida, 53, who solicited potential customers in the streets of Kabukicho.

According to police, the operation generated approximately 800 million yen in revenue over the past four years.

Saito is a member of the Sumiyoshi-kai organized crime group. Investigators believe revenue from the operation was used as means of funding the gang, according to TV Asahi (May 26).