AICHI (TR) – Aichi Prefectural Police are planning to arrest three persons, including a current member of the Yamaguchi-gumi organized crime group, in the shooting death of a rival boss in Nagoya in July, reports NHK (Sept. 6).
Police intend to arrest a 47-year-old member of the Yamaguchi-gumi and a former member, 44, on murder charges. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a third person.
On July 15, two assailants entered a fourth-floor residence of a building in the Shinsakae area of Naka Ward and shot Tatsuo Saiki, a 64-year-old upper-level member of the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi, in the head and chest. The gang member was confirmed dead about one and a half hours later after being transported to a nearby hospital.
About 20 minutes after the incident, a sedan likely used by the suspects to flee the scene was found on fire in the parking lot of a shrine located about two kilometers from the residence. Police believe that the suspects poured flammable liquid inside the vehicle before setting it ablaze in an effort to conceal evidence. A bulletproof vest that may have been used in the crime was later found at a nearby coffee shop.
The current and former gang members have already been arrested for allegedly stealing the getaway car.
The Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi formed in 2015 following the dissolution of the Kobe-based Yamaguchi-gumi. Police suspect that the shooting incident is connected to the split.
Update: Police have arrested current Yamaguchi-gumi member Tatsumasa Katakura, former member Tatsuki Mitsui and 65-year-old Masami Yokoyama, according to TV Asahi (Sept. 7).
