TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested one more member of a group of former bar hosts from the Kabukicho entertainment area who admits to participating in a series of fake accidents targeting taxi drivers, reports TV Asahi (May 17).
In October of last year, Toshihiko Koga, 23, allegedly assisted in the staging of a fake accident involving a taxi traveling down a road in Shinjuku Ward. Police had previously arrested former hosts Yusuke Aoki, Susumu Miyazawa and one other person for the same crime.
In carrying out the scam, Koga hailed a taxi and directed the driver down the road. Aoki, who was pulling a suitcase, suddenly emerged in the path of the vehicle. The car then struck the luggage. The group then demanded compensation from the driver.
Since March of last year, the suspects are believed to have collected several million yen from more than 100 taxi drivers who had fallen victim to similar scams.
Koga admits to the charges. “Aoki and I did this more than 20 times,” the suspect is quoted by police.
