TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police officers on Sunday raided three shops for the sale of uncensored adult video DVDs inside a building in the Kabukicho entertainment district, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Jan. 24).
Officers from the TMD’s peace preservation division took six employees (including, according to TV Asahi, 44-year-old manager Taro Takimoto) into custody during a search of three stores and two warehouses involved in the sale of uncensored and electromagnetically copied DVDs. Officers also seized approximately 100,800 discs and nine copying machines.
All six suspects have reportedly admitted to the allegations.
The three shops, which did not utilize advertising signboards, began selling discs in August, 2004, during which time sales have totaled approximately 1.58 billion yen, according to police.
By law, films available in Japan are required to have genitalia properly censored. Further, changes in legislation made in July regarding the sale of uncensored DVDs copied electromagnetically were enacted to prohibit sales.
At the time of the raid, Yokoyama was in possession of 25 illegal discs, police said.
裏DVD約11万枚押収 わいせつDVD店を一斉摘発