TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Tuesday introduced the issuing of an arrest warrant linked to the business intercourse scouting group Natural.
According to police, Natural, which is Japan’s largest scouting group for introducing ladies to grownup leisure (fuzoku) institutions, is suspected of paying safety cash to an organized crime group, which is a violation of Tokyo Metropolitan Organized Crime Exclusion Ordinance.
The warrant additionally lists the chairman of Natural, 40-year-old Hiroaki Obata, on a nationwide needed listing. With his whereabouts sought, the announcement consists of a number of pictures of Obata.
Obata had been beneath surveillance by regulation enforcement. However, he all of a sudden disappeared a yr in the past
“We are determined to find him with the help of the entire nation,” mentioned a senior investigator tells the Mainichi Shimbun (Jan. 21).
Annual income of 4.4 billion yen
Obata, recognized by his nickname “Kiyama,” based Natural in Tokyo’s Kabukicho red-light district round 2009. It’s a company-like group for which he serves as its “chairman.”
With operations within the capital and the cities of Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo and Kumamoto, Natural capabilities like an nameless, cell legal group, or tokuryu. Its main supply of revenue comes from “scouting kickbacks,” by which they introduce ladies to grownup leisure institutions in change for a portion of their gross sales.
According to investigative soures, there are greater than 1,500 members nationwide. In 2022 they earned greater than 4.4 billion yen. A portion of their earnings can also be allegedly channeled to organized crime.
Brawl in Kabukicho
In 2020, members of Natural had been concerned in a brawl with members of the Sumiyoshi-kai legal syndicate in Kabukicho, which resulted in arrests on either side.
Since then, Natural has constructed relationships with legal syndicates that declare turf in numerous leisure districts by paying safety cash, which permits from the group to develop its scouting actions.
Law enforcement believes that Obata is primarily liable for negotiating with the organized crime teams.
The allegations within the arrest warrant are based mostly on one such incident. On July 24, 2023, Obata and his associates are suspected of conspiring to pay 600,000 yen in money to a 39-year-old senior member of a Yamaguchi-gumi affiliate as safety cash to safe approval for scouting actions in Udagawacho, Shibuya Ward.
Last January, Tokyo police obtained an arrest warrant on this cost beneath the purpose of rounding up the group’s senior members. However, simply earlier than a raid in late January, Obata and his associates went lacking. As a consequence, solely two arrests had been made.
Leaks
In November, Tokyo police dismissed a male lieutenant from the Organized Crime Control Division for leaking investigation info to Natural.
The leaked info included an inventory of associated addresses for members and pictures exhibiting the places of investigative cameras monitoring their bases. Some investigators consider the leak led to the escape of the executives.
As effectively, Natural has taken measures to keep away from detection. For one, it makes use of different names, together with “White” and “Smile.” It has additionally developed its personal extremely confidential smartphone app for communication and sharing photographs of investigators’ faces.
With a muscular construct, Obata stands roughly 175 centimeters tall. He has a dragon tattoo working from his proper shoulder down his arm.
Persons with info on the case are suggested to name the Organized Crime Control Division at 03-3506-8787.