HOKKAIDO (TR) – Police in Sapporo City have re-arrested seven men for allegedly defrauding three women of approximately 400,000 yen by forcing them to pay for unsolicited deliveries of crab, salmon and scallops, reports News UHB (July 23).
The suspects include Hokuto Uchiyama, a 31-year-old company executive residing in Chuo Ward.
According to investigators, the men targeted three women living outside of Hokkaido over a three-month period between November and January.
The suspects allegedly contacted the victims and falsely claimed, “When we received your last order, we also accepted an order for this current delivery,” before shipping the unwanted seafood and demanding payment.
Police have not disclosed whether the suspects have admitted to the charges.
The seven men were previously arrested for a similar telemarketing fraud scheme, in which they cold-called victims and pressured them into purchasing seafood by touting a fictitious bargain sale.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the group’s broader operations. Police suspect the syndicate ran a highly lucrative nationwide racket, swindling more than 900 million yen from over 40,000 victims across the country.
