TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police believe that the suspects in a recent fraud case targeting an elderly woman are a part of a ring whose crimes funded a criminal syndicate, reports TV Asahi (May 10).
In February, Daisuke Kobayashi, 34, a boy, 16, and one other person allegedly swindled the woman, a 78-year-old resident of Adachi Ward, out of 4 million yen.
In carrying out the ruse, one of the suspects posed as the woman’s son while falsely claiming that he needed money to cover a failed investment at his company. The boy then collected the cash from the woman to be delivered to Kobayashi while the third suspect stood watch.
Police believe the suspects are a part of a larger ring that targets victims over the telephone. Police are now investigating whether a portion of the proceeds from the crimes, which likely exceed 10 million yen, have been funneled to an organized crime group.
