Construction companies begin to lay yakuza-free foundations
For those who don’t keep up with the Japan Times, Brett Bull has a great article up about efforts within the construction industry to drive out yakuza groups, focusing on…
NPA statistics looking good for Kodo-kai crackdown efforts
If numbers mean anything, then the National Police Agency’s crackdown on the Yamaguchi-gumi Kodo-kai led by director Takaharu Ando has been something of a success. The NPA released arrest figures…
Divvying up the booty from the Susumu Kajiyama loansharking case
Tokyo District Court on Thursday began the necessary procedures to divide up nearly 2.38 billion yen in damages to those caught up in a 2003 international money laundering scheme run…
Cracking down: Sumo scandal just a part of larger anti-yakuza operation
Sumo scandal news may have begun to quiet down with the end of the Nagoya Tournament, but this great article from Gavin Blair at the Christian Science Monitor tells the…
Reports of Nagoya tournament suffering due to sumo scandal
Amongst much controversy, the Grand Sumo Nagoya Tournament has gone on (mostly) as planned, despite NHK’s refusal to broadcast the event and a boycott by a number of sponsors (but…
Hard times for hard-working hard-on inducing drug peddling yakuza
Can you say that three times fast? According to the National Police Agency, even more yakuza have been arrested in an Osaka drug ring selling fake Viagra to unsuspecting fun-seekers.…
Police to cooperate in setting up organized crime database
It was announced today that the National Police Agency (NPA) agreed to cooperate with the Japan Security Dealers Association (JSDA) in providing information for a database on organized crime, sharing…
From "Ore Ore" to "Ore wa Yakuza da"–bank scammers adapting to the times
Scammers are adopting new techniques to swindle unsuspecting victims in bank transaction fraud in Osaka Prefecture, according to this article in Sankei News, claiming to be yakuza in order to…
Yamaguchi-gumi using pre-paid internet to sell child pornography?
According to an organized crime watchdog, police in Wakayama Prefecture have uncovered a child pornography ring that was able to set up a website selling DVDs by abusing the anonymity…
Local areas to beef up anti-organized crime legislature
There was news this week of four prefectures working on additional legislative measures to stop organized crime organizations from working their way into the operations and offices of legitimate businesses.…