On June 22, police apprehended Tatsuru Tanaka, a 36-year-old resident of Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward, at an airport in Pattaya, located on Thailand’s eastern coast, as he attempted to board a flight for Cambodia. Police accused him of immigration violations.
Kanagawa Prefectural Police had obtained a warrant for the arrest of Tanaka, who is believed to have been the leader of a fraud ring that swindled 83 persons out of 48 million yen. “I don’t know [anything about it],” the suspect was quoted by police.
Police have already arrested five other Japanese nationals in the case. In carrying out the ruse, the suspects falsely told victims via telephone that they were liable for unpaid fees in connection with the use of internet sites. The victims were then instructed to purchase gift cards whose information was later provided to the suspects.
Kanagawa police sought the assistance of international police organization Interpol in apprehending Tanaka.
