Japan Police Take Action against 10,105 People over "Tokuryu" Crimes in 2024

   Tokyo, April 3 (Jiji Press)--Japanese police took action against 10,105 people last year for crimes designed to raise funds for "tokuryu" loosely connected anonymous crime groups, the National Police Agency said Thursday.
   Tokuryu groups are often linked to special fraud schemes, social media-based scams, violent robberies and exploitative male host clubs. Members are recruited through shady part-time job postings on social media, while ringleaders remain anonymous.
   Over tokuryu-linked crimes in 2024, police took action against 2,655 people for fraud, 991 people for thefts, 917 people for drug cases, 348 people for robberies, and 292 people for violating the amusement business law.
   Ringleaders accounted for 1,011 people of the total, while perpetrators made up about 90 pct. About 40 pct of the perpetrators, at 3,925 people, were recruited on social media.
   The NPA said the police took action against 8,249 members of organized crime syndicates across the country in 2024, marking a record low and a decrease of 1,361 from the previous year.

(2025/04/03-11:44)