TOKYO (TR) – Three men between the ages of 71 and 79 have been arrested by the Akasaka Police Department on suspicion of forging documents to fraudulently adopt a 93-year-old man.
The scheme was allegedly designed to seize his prime real estate in the upscale Akasaka district, reports the Mainichi Shimbun (Nov. 10).
The suspects, whose identities have not been released, were taken into custody in late October for charges including the forgery and uttering of private documents.
Police investigations reveal the elderly target lives alone on the property. The land, located in a highly coveted area, is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of yen.
According to investigative sources, the suspected ringleader had repeatedly pressured the elderly homeowner to sell the land since 2022. After being rebuffed by the owner each time, the group allegedly hatched a plan to secure the property through inheritance instead.
Authorities say the men forged an adoption registration form, signed it using the victim’s name, and submitted the document to the Minato Ward Office on July 29. By becoming his legal “adopted” sons, the group would have been positioned to claim the valuable land upon the man’s death.
The plot unraveled when the ward office sent an official notice to the homeowner confirming the adoption. Shocked, the 93-year-old immediately reported the fraud to the police. He has since filed the necessary paperwork to dissolve the forced adoption.
All three suspects have reportedly admitted to the allegations. Police are continuing to investigate the extent of the attempted property grab.
