Police in Japan have arrested a man identified as a senior member of a Yamaguchi-gumi crime syndicate-affiliated Yakuza gang on gambling charges.
The man, who has not been named for legal reasons, is a 62-year-old resident of Takarazuka, a city in Hyogo Prefecture, the Japanese newspaper Kobe Shimbun reported.
The Hyogo Prefectural Police Organized Crime Department and Amagasaki South Police Station said the accused “operated an illegal gambling operation that let residents place bets on the outcome of pro baseball matches.”
Most forms of sports betting are illegal in Japan. Exceptions include betting at permit-holding horse and boat racing venues.
Police in Hyogo said that they also arrested a 31-year-old man from Amagasaki on related charges. Detectives have charged this man, a demolition worker, with habitual gambling.
The Yakuza member allegedly offered gamblers odds on 34 games, including Nippon Professional Baseball Organization and Major League Baseball regular-season games.
Police say the demolition worker placed a total of 114 bets, worth 1.14 million yen (about $7,160).
Yakuza Gambling Crackdown
The Yamaguchi-gumi-affiliated gang member reportedly made a full confession during police questioning.
The demolition worker has reportedly denied all of the charges.
Yamaguchi-gumi is Japan’s largest Yakuza syndicate. Its roots are deeply embedded in the world of underground gambling. In recent years, however, it has launched a range of legitimate business arms in the construction and finance sectors.
Police, however, believe that underground gambling rings remain a key source of income for both Yamaguchi-gumi and its affiliate gangs.
The Hyogo development comes just weeks after the Yonago branch of the Tottori District Public Prosecutor’s Office announced it would not indict a 55-year-old Yamaguchi-gumi-affiliated gang “senior executive” on gambling-related charges.
Police had arrested the man on suspicion of organizing betting on the outcome of last summer’s Koshien High School Baseball Tournament.
But prosecution officials said the executive, and six other men aged 24 to 44, arrested as part of the same police investigation in February, had been released due to insufficient evidence.
Early last month, Police in Aichi Prefecture launched another Yakuza-related gambling investigation.
This probe saw Aichi officers raid an office building they think served as a slots center operating hub.
The offices belong to Inagawa-kai, another major Yakuza syndicate. The gang has around 1,600 members and operates in the Tokyo-Yokohama area.
