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Tokyo cops: Yakuza used home delivery service to ship illegal drugs

Yoshitaka Iwama and Yoshihiro Ito
Yoshitaka Iwama and Yoshihiro Ito

AICHI (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Tuesday raided the headquarters of a gang affiliated with the Yamaguchi-gumi over the alleged handling of illegal drugs, reports TV Asahi (April 27).

Approximately 60 investigators entered the offices of the Kodo-kai, located in Nagoya’s Nakamura Ward, in search of evidence connected to the sale of kakuseizai, or stimulant drugs, by two members last year.

On more than 40 occasions between January of last year and August, Yoshitaka Iwama, 38, Yoshihiro Ito, 51, used a takkyubin (or home delivery) service to receive approximately 400 grams of drugs at residences and other locations.

According to police, the drugs were obtained from an upper-level member of the Inagawa-kai organized crime group.

Iwama, who has been charged with receiving contraband, has refused to comment on the allegations.

In October of last year, police arrested Yoshihiko Aono, a 51-year-old Inagawa-kai member, for the possession 1.5 kilograms of stimulant drugs. Aono is believed to have shipped drugs to Ito and Iwama for between 100,000 yen and 130,000 yen per 10 grams.

In 1984, the Kodo-kai was co-founded by Shinobu Tsukasa, the current Godfather of the Yamaguchi-gumi.