Special Feature: Progress and Future Prospects Regarding Measuresagainst Organized Crime
Preface

The topic of the Special Feature in the

For example, small to mid-sized organizations

White Paper on Police 2015 is “The Progressof Boryokudan and subordinate groups at theand Future Prospects of Measures against

bottom of large Boryokudan hierarchies are

Organized Crime”.

suffering from a shortage of funds and

The number of confirmed criminal cases inJapancontinually

increasedfrommembers

1996

that

supportBoryokudan.

Additionally, both cleared cases of crimes

through 2002, when it reached 2.85 million,

committed

byvisitors

to

Japan

and

the largest number since the end of World

international criminals have been decreasing.
On the other hand, criminal organizations

War II.
The situation of public security worsened atcontinue to pose serious threats to Japanesethat time due in part to the escalation in thesociety as they continually alter their activities

seriousness of the crimes committed byfor the purpose of evading police controls andcriminal groups of visiting foreigners, crimes

achieving economic benefits in a shrewd andrelated to the smuggling and trafficking of

efficient manner. The core bodies of major

drugs and firearms, and crimes committed by

Boryokudan organizations, in particular, havedomestic organized crime groups such as

been increasingly concealing their actual

Boryokudan.

activities by exploiting affiliate corporations
and collaborators, while diversifying their

With a view to controlling organized crime,
the police established the Organized Crime

funding

Department at the National Police Agency

development of the economy and society.

(NPA)

Boryokudan is therefore likely to maintain a

in

April

2004

and

have

been

strengthening measures against organizedsolidcrime. The measures that the police have been

network.

activities

economic

inresponse

foundation

and

to

the

human

Demand for stimulants and other drugs aretaking include:○ Strategic crackdowns on organized crime

persisting, and these drugs are supplied tothroughdrug users illegally and regularly. Recent newcollecting,aggregating

andanalyzing relevant information;issues include incidents and accidents caused○ Promoting activities for eliminatingby people under the influence of Dangerous

Boryokudan and the funding sources ofDrugs (NPS: New Psychoactive Substances),

criminal organizations, andand special fraud committed by ingeniously○ Border control in cooperation withorganized groups. These issues need to beagencies concerned of Japan and othersolved urgently.
In order to weaken and eliminate criminal

countries.

organizations as well as to eradicate organized
The recent situation concerning organizedcrime, it is necessary to arrest not only

crime activity indicates that these efforts bymembers of subordinate groups but also thethe police have resulted in positive outcomes.

leaders and major executives of criminal-1-

organizations, and break up the core bodies ofcrime and characteristic trends in criminal

these organizations by ensuring that they areorganizations. Section 2 introduces the efforts

stripped of criminal proceeds and also byof the police for the elimination of organizedeliminating all their sources of funding.

crime. Lastly, Section 3 describes future

The police are aiming to promote effective
countermeasures

based

on

prospects

adequateregardingmeasuresagainstorganized crime.

understanding of changes in the situation ofWith the aim of maintaining and expandingorganized crime. The efforts of the police

theirtoward this purpose include improving skillsorganizations make full use of violence,for collecting and analyzing information,

power,

promoting strategic measures for cracking

exploitation of diverse economic and social

down on organized crime, positively utilizing

activities. Japanese society as a whole needs

investigation methods that are effective fortocontrolling organized crime, and enhancing

organizations. Hopefully, this Special Feature

cooperation with all of the organizations andwill help Japanese citizens to deepen theirdepartments concerned.

understanding of the efforts being made by the

In the Special Feature, Section 1 outlines

organizational
andweakeninfluence,

fraudulent

and

means

eliminatecriminalforthecriminal

police and to think about future measures

recent changes in the situation of organizedagainst organized crime.

-2-Special Feature: Progress and Future Prospects Regarding Measuresagainst Organized Crime
Section 1 Changes in the Situation ofOrganized Crime
1. Situation of Boryokudan(1) Scale and Trends in Boryokudan
Full and associate members of Boryokudan
have continually declined in number since2005. At the end of 2014, the total number ofmembers was 53,500, the smallest number
since the enforcement of the Act on
Prevention of Unjust Conducts by Organized
Crime Group Members (hereafter referred toas the Anti-Boryokudan Act) in 1992. Morethan 70% of the full and associate members of
Boryokudan belong to the Yamaguchi-gumi,
Sumiyoshi-kai, or Inagawa-kai which havealways
been
the
three
oligopolisticorganizations of Boryokudan.

Column: Trends in Jun-Boryokudan
Recently,in

downtown

areas

and

entertainment districts, there are cases inwhich members of the groups that mainly
consistofformer

motorcycle

gangs

collectively and/or habitually commit illegal
acts of violence such as assaults andinjuries. Although these groups are notorganized as systematically as Boryokudan,
they commit crimes and conduct criminal
business and funding activities, and somegroups are likely to be closely connectedwith

Boryokudan

or

other

criminalorganizations. Having defined these groups
asJun-Boryokudan(i.e.,

quasi-Boryokudan), the police have beenworking toward thoroughly grasping therealities

of

Jun-Boryokudan,tightening

controls

over

while

their

illegalactivities.

Trends in Boryokudan (full/associate) membership (2005–2014)
Members

Associate members, etc.

Total (people)

Share of the 3 major Boryokudan groups (%)(people)(％)

100,000

74.0

90,00072.0

80,00070.0

70,00060,00068.0

50,00066.0

40,00030,00064.0

20,00062.0

10,000
0

60.0
Year

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

T otal (people)

86,30084,70084,20082,60080,90078,60070,30063,20058,60053,500Members

43,30041,50040,90040,40038,60036,00032,70028,80025,60022,300

Associate members, etc.

43,00043,20043,30042,20042,30042,60037,60034,40033,00031,200T otal no. in the 3 groups (people)

63,00061,60061,10060,00058,60056,60050,90045,80042,30038,500

73.0

72.7

72.6

72.6

72.4

72.0

72.4

72.5

72.2

72.0

Group

Share of the 3 major Boryokudan groups (%)

Note: The numbers of members and associate members are in round numbers.

-3-(2) Actual Situation of Boryokudan'sFunding Activities
Recent records on the arrests ofBoryokudan members show that the types ofoffenses for which they tend to be arrested
have changed. While the proportion of
extortion, injuries, and other crimes
Boryokudan members commit by openly
wielding their power has decreased orremained unchanged, the proportion of frauds
that Boryokudan members are able to commit
without exercising their power has increased.
The reasons behind this change include
increased difficulty for Boryokudan to openly
use their power for funding because of thetightened police controls that have been
implemented on the basis of multiple

amendments

over

the

years

to

the

Anti-Boryokudan Act, and also due to theadvances in activities aimed at eliminating
Boryokudan.
On the other hand, with the tightening ofpolice controls over Boryokudan, those who
maintain strong ties with Boryokudan but are
not its members are increasing in number.
Additionally, the activities of people who are
related to Boryokudan as well as the ways in
which

they

keep

relationships

withBoryokudan have become diversified.

Proportions of various types of offenses in the total number of crimes committed by Boryokudan members (in 2005 and 2014)

Decreasing transparency of Boryokudan's funding activities
Corporations affiliated with
Boryokudan

Boryokudan

Business activities◆ X X g r ou p ◆Instructions / orders
Acceptance of utilization of
threat to the organizations

Execution ofbusiness

Construction

Worker dispatch business
Former members, etc.

Entertainment business

Financing business

Collaborators

Industrial waste disposal
industries

Profits-4-・・・

Laundered funds

(3) Trends in Boryokudan from theViewpoint of Front-line Police Officers
The NPA conducted a questionnaire survey
on officers responsible for crime information
at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department
and Prefectural Police Headquarters (PPH)from December 2014 through January 2015.
Of all the respondents, 76.3% answered that atleast some Boryokudan organizations weremaintaining or expanding their influence. In
response to a question about the factors that
help Boryokudan to maintain or expand its
influence, the majority of these 76.3%
respondents said that collaborators were

helpingorfacilitatingtheactivities

ofBoryokudan.
In response to a question about the changes
that the respondents anticipated to take placein Boryokudan over the next ten years, themajority of them answered that the manner inwhich

Boryokudan

engageinfunding

activities would become more cunning. Manyof the respondents also chose the answers thatindicated that the oligopoly by the three major
Boryokudan organizations would advance,
and that Boryokudan would expand its sphereof criminal funding activities.

Factors that help Boryokudan to maintain or expand its influence (up to three answers)

Changes that are anticipated in Boryokudan over the next 10 years (multiple answers)

Funding activities will be more cleverly carried out.

79.3%

Oligopoly of the major three organizations will progress.

59.3%

New funding activities will be expanded.

48.9%

Boryokudan will be weaken, however, new criminal organizations will
rise.

14.8%

Not much difference from now

8.9%

Other

8.1%
0%

-5-

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

2. Drugs Situation(1) Situation in Clearance of Drug-related
Crimes and Distribution of Abused Drugs
The number of arrests for crimes related todrugs was 13,121 in 2014, maintaining a highlevel. Although the number of arrests forcrimes related to stimulants has been on thedecrease in recent years, it was 10,958 in2014, an increase of 49 (0.4%) from theprevious year. This accounts for 83.5% of allarrests related to drugs. Cannabis-relatedarrests have also been decreasing in number
recently. However, the number in 2014
increased by 206 (13.2%) from the previous
year reaching 1,761, which accounts for
13.4% of all arrests for crimes related todrugs.
The number of people arrested for“Dangerous Drugs” (NPS: New Psychoactive
Substances) in 2014 was 840, an increase of
664 (or 377.3%) from the previous year.
Crimes related to Dangerous Drugs sharecommon characteristics. For example, 80% of
the Dangerous Drug abusers who werearrested in 2014 were first-time drug
offenders, and 70% of all Dangerous Drugabusers under arrest were in their 30s or
younger. While many (58.0%) of theTrends in arrests by applicable laws and regulations forDangerous Drugs (2010 – 2014)
900

840

Violation of other laws and regulations

800

90

Violations against traffic related laws and regulations

700

Violation of the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act

600

Violation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act related todesignated substances

160

Placesofof
originPlaceorigin

500
492

400

400

300

300
176
10
40

10

200

1 (Narcotics andPsychotropics
6
Control Act)
19
9 (Designated
6 (Designatedsubstances)
substances)

100
0

2010

2011

112
10

200
100

89

26
57

37

2012

2013

0
2014

Dangerous Drug abusers arrested in 2014
purchased Dangerous Drugs at shops on thestreets, 19.7% of the arrests purchased
Dangerous Drugs online.
(2) Actual Situation of Smuggling andIllegal Trafficking of Drugs by Criminal
Organizations
Recent smuggling cases of stimulants arecharacterized by increasingly diversified
places of origin. The number of places oforigin of stimulants sharply increased from 10
in 2005 to 38 in 2011. While the number
decreased in the following years, it still
remains as high as 28 in 2014. Typically, the(country (region))

Note: Excluding those whose place of origin is unknown.

40

38

Africa33

Europe3132

Middle East

28

U.S.A.
Asia

200

25

30

185

164
150

150

132
120

15
100

12

20

118

13

10
63

65

2006

2007

75

10

50
27

0

0
2005

2008

2009

700
600

500

Oceania
250

800

98

Trends in the number of places of origin of stimulants smuggling and the number of cleared cases by region (2005-2014)(cases)
300

900

2010

-6-

2011

2012

2013

2014 (year)

Proportions of different Boryokudan organizations in the arrests for crimes committed by Boryokudan members
in relation to stimulants (2014)

Dojin-kaimembers engage in trafficking of stimulants inan organized way and that stimulants are themajor source of funding for Boryokudan.

majority of stimulants were smuggled from
Asian countries including China, Malaysia,
and the Philippines, but lately an increasing
amount of stimulants are smuggled from Latin
America, Africa, and the Middle East.
The number of arrests for stimulant
offenses committed by Boryokudan members
was 6,024 in 2014, a decrease of 72 (1.2%)
from the previous year, but still accounting for55.0% of stimulant-related arrests. For someof the small to mid-sized Boryokudanorganizations that have a virtual monopoly on
trafficking of stimulants in specific districts,
trafficking of stimulants is the principal meansfor obtaining funds. The fact that leaders andexecutives of umbrella organizations of large
Boryokudan organizations have been arrested
for possessing, transferring or receiving
stimulants for profit suggests that Boryokudan

3. Situation of Transnational OrganizedCrime(1) Arrests for Crimes Committed byForeigners Visiting Japan
From 2005 through 2014, the number ofarrests for Penal Code offenses committed byvisiting foreigners decreased by 23,373(70.7%).
Regarding arrests for Penal Code offenses
committed by foreigners visiting Japan bynationality/region shows that Chinese visitors(excluding those from Taiwan and HongKong) have accounted for the largest
proportion of arrests in the past ten years.
Recently, the proportion of Vietnamese

Trends in the number of cleared cases committed by foreigners and foreigners arrested in Japan (1989-2014)(cases/arrests)

No. of cleared cases of Penal Code offenses

No. of cleared cases of special law offenses

Total no. of foreigners arrested

50,00040,00030,00020,00010,00001989
1989 1990
2 1991
3 1992
4 1993
5 1994
6 1995
7 1996
8 1997
9 199810 1999
11 2000
12 2001
13 2002
14 200315 2004
16 2005
17 2006
18 200719 2008
20 2009
21 201022 201123 201224 201325 201426-7-(year)

offenders has been on the rise. In 2014, 68.8%(782 persons) of Vietnamese who werearrested by police committed shoplifting.
(2) Crime Infrastructure Exploited byTransnational Criminal Organizations
Transnational criminal organizationscommit diverse crimes skillfully by exploiting
the existing criminal infrastructure. They are
engaged in unlawful money transfer throughunderground banks, fake marriages, false
acknowledgmentofparenthood,counterfeiting of passports and residencecards, and facilitation of illegal employment.
Some cases aroused suspicion recently thatthese organizations have abused the system togrant asylum in order to have undocumented
foreigners acquire resident's status or work
illegally.

money laundering in 2014, 60 cases werecommitted by Boryokudan members.
When money launderers are foreigners
visiting Japan, they often transfer funds toother countries that are different from Japan interms of legal and trading systems. These
foreign money launderers remit criminal
proceeds they acquire in Japan to othercountries, or illegally export cash to theirhome countries. In these cases, it is moredifficult to track illicit money flows incomparison to cases of money launderingtransactions in Japan. In 2014, 36 money
laundering cases were committed by visiting
foreigners.

4. Money Laundering by Criminal
Organizations
The number of arrests related to money
laundering has been on the increase in recent
years. Boryokudan is a particularly ingenious
money launderer, presenting a threat toJapanese society. Of all crimes related toTrends in cleared money laundering cases (2005 - 2014)(cases)350

Violation of the Act Concerning Special Provision for Narcotics (cases)
Violation of the Act on Punishment of Organized Crimes and Control of Crime Proceeds (cases)

300

250

200

150

100

50

0
Year
Classification
Violation of the Act on Punishment of Organized Crimes
and Control of Crime Proceeds (cases)

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

107(48)134(53)

177(60)173(63)226(90)205(90)243(81)

238(55)272(75)293(55)

Management control of enterprises (Article 9)

0(0)

1(0)

0(0)

1(1)

0(0)

1(0)

1(0)

0(0)

2(0)

1(1)

Concealment of criminal proceeds (Article 10)65(21)

91(18)

137(35)134(41)172(49)139(46)150(43)

158(27)171(35)180(26)

Receipt of criminal proceeds (Article 11)42(27)

42(35)

40(25)

38(21)

54(41)

65(44)

92(38)

80(28)

99(40)

112(28)Violation of the Act Concerning Special Provision for Narcotics(cases)

5(4)

10(5)

7(5)

12(5)

10(4)

9(5)

8(3)

11(4)

10(10)

7(5)Concealment of drug criminal proceeds (Article 6)

3(2)

5(3)

5(4)

10(4)

5(1)

8(4)

8(3)

8(2)

6(6)

5(3)

Receipt of drug criminal proceeds (Article 7)

2(2)

5(2)

2(1)

2(1)

5(3)

1(1)

0(0)

3(2)

4(4)

2(2)

Note: Numbers in parentheses indicate offenses committed by Boryokudan members-8-Section 2 Background and Current Status of
Measures against Organized Crime
1. Measures against Boryokudan
In keeping with socioeconomic changes, thepolice have been advancing effective
application of the Anti-Boryokudan Act,
strategic crackdowns on Boryokudan, andcomprehensive measures for the eliminationof Boryokudan.
(1) Revisions to and Effective Applicationof the Anti-Boryokudan Act
The Anti-Boryokudan Act was enacted in1991 and enforced in March 1992. The social
background that led to the establishment of
this Act was the strong demand for effective
countermeasures against wrongful conduct by

Boryokudan members. This included unjust
funding activities (e.g., racketeering byinterceding in civil disputes and threatening
the use of violence) and turf wars among
various Boryokudan groups.
To keep pace with changes in the situationof Boryokudan that took place after theenforcement of the Act, it has been amended
five times (in 1993, 1997, 2004, 2008 and2012). A system was introduced in the 2012
amendment to the Act for identifying
designated Boryokudan groups in specificconflicts and designated Boryokudan groupsof specific risks. This system has been helping
deter turf wars among Boryokudan groups andattacks by Boryokudan on business operators.

Outline of The Anti-Boryokudan Act
Designating Boryokudan- allow the member to use power/violence for funding- have a certain percentage of members with a crime record- have a hierarchy under the control of the representative

From Boryokudan,
those who

When all conditions
are certified

Designation

Legal controls of members of designated Boryokudan--

Violent demands, including unjust demands for protection money, using the influence of the designatedBoryokudan.**Not only the full member but people who have some relationship with the Boryokudan are also
subject to control
Prohibition
Forceful order to join the designated Boryokudan
Extortion by finger cutting
Obstructing people who have filed or have an intention to file a law suit against a member of designatedBoryokudan by hanging around the person
Exalting violence applied to address conflicts among Boryokudan groups

If violated

Administrativeorder

If violated

Penalty(3 yearsor less inprison,etc.)

If violated

Administrative order to limit the use of Boryokudan offices when conflicts among designated Boryokudan groups occur

Preventing danger to ordinary people○ Specification of “Specified Conflict Designated Boryokudan, etc.”
In the controlled area

- opening new offices and using existing offices- prowling around homes of members of an opposing Boryokudan group

Prohibition

If violated

Prohibition

If violated

Penalty(3 yearsor less inprison,etc.)○ Specification of “Specified Risk Designated Boryokudan,etc.”
In the controlled area

- Violent demands including unjust demands for protection money- Obstructing people who request compensation for damages

An administrative order to control the use of office space when the office may be used for physical violence

If violated

Regulations of damage compensations requested to the representative of a designated Boryokudan
Reduction of burden for a victim to prove the responsibility of the supreme boss when requesting compensation for damages/loss
Promotion of Boryokudan elimination movement by residents○ Prefectural Center to Promote Movements for Elimination of Violence○ On behalf of residents with proximity of a Boryokudan office, competent Prefectural Center for the Elimination of Boryokudan designated by NPSC become the complainant who request
suspension of the Boryokudan office use-9-(2) Strategic Controls
With the aim of eliminating Boryokudan,
the police are enhancing strategic crackdowns
to inflict heavy damage on the organizationalfoundation and funding activities of
Boryokudan. All-out efforts are being madeacross the entire police organization to crack
down on activities of particularly violent andmalicious
BoryokudangroupsandBoryokudan groups with great power.
The Kudo-kai is a designated Boryokudangroup headquartered in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka
Prefecture. Members of this group havefrequently attacked business operators byusing weapons, posing a serious threat not
only to business operators but also to the livesof citizens. While implementing crackdowns
on the Kudo-kai, the police have also beenstrengthening security for exercising strict
control over the Kudo-kai's activities, and willcontinue to deter their dangerous activities
utilizing thorough police control andapplication of the Anti-Boryokudan Act.

organization of the Yamaguchi-gumi. The
first-generation
head
and
the
second-generation head of the Kodo-kai holdthe top positions in the Yamaguchi-gumi.
The police organization's overall efforts in
cracking down on the activities of the
Yamaguchi-gumi,
theKodo-kai,theirumbrella organizations, affiliate corporations
and collaborators have produced somepositiveoutcomes.
However,the
Yamaguchi-gumi and the Kodo-kai still havea very powerful influence and are active indeveloping various illicit enterprises. The
police will continue to implement intensive
controls over these Boryokudan organizations
by making full use of various laws andregulations.
Case: The head, 63, and other members of
the Kodo-kai, a major affiliation of the
Yamaguchi-gumi, extorted 40 million yen inso-called protection money from a
construction business person under thepretext of helping him during the period
from July 2005 through December 2006.
Between December 2009 and November
2010, four members, including the head,
were arrested for extortion.

Case: In January 2013, members of the
Kudo-kai, including the leader, 67, and thevice leader, 58, stabbed a nurse several
times with intention to kill, causing severe
injuries to her face and right arm. From
September through October 2014, 16
members of the Kudo-kai, including thetwo top leaders, were arrested for violating
the Act on Punishment of Organized
Crimes and Control of Crime Proceeds, on
suspicion of organizing an attempted
murder.

(3)Comprehensive
Activities
for
Eliminating Boryokudan
The efforts of the police alone are notsufficienttoweakenandeliminate
Boryokudan. Community-based efforts foreliminating Boryokudan are indispensable, sothepolicehave
been
promotingcomprehensive activities for the elimination of
Boryokudan in close cooperation withagencies and organizations concerned.
The past ten years saw particularly
significant progress in these activities within
Japanese society, tending to an increase of
momentum toward the elimination of
Boryokudan. For example, in June 2007, theJapanesegovernment
announced
the
Guidelines for Companies to Prevent Damage
Inflicted by Anti-Social Forces. By October

The Yamaguchi-gumi is the largest
Boryokudan organization in Japan. Having thelargest number of members and associate
members, this syndicate has built amicable
relations with many Boryokudan groups andhas thus maintained a status that allows it toexert influence on a majority of Boryokudangroups in Japan. Currently, key positions of
the Yamaguchi-gumi are held by members of
the Kodo-kai, a secondary Boryokudan- 10 -

2011, the Ordinance for Eliminating
Organized Crime Groups was enforced by all
prefectures in Japan.
In close cooperation with Prefectural
Centers to Promote Movements for
Elimination of Violence and bar associations,the police have been supporting citizens'activities for eliminating Boryokudan fromtheir neighborhoods. For example, support isprovided to residents who file a lawsuit
seeking removal of Boryokudan's offices fromtheir local area.
Pursuant to the 2012 amendment of theAnti-Boryokudan Act, each Prefectural Center
to Promote Movements for Elimination ofViolence that has been certified by the
National Public Safety Commission (NPSC)
as a competent center is allowed to filelawsuits in the name of the center, on behalfof the residents in the neighborhood of
Borokudan's offices, demanding injunctions
against the use of those offices. By July 2014,
all Prefectural Centers to Promote Movements
for Elimination of Violence in Japan werecertified as competent centers.

Additionally, in order to eliminate
Boryokudan, it is essential to provide
information to and to ensure the safety of
those who wish to sever their relationships
with Boryokudan. Thus, the police are making
use of their collective strengths for providing
these people with necessary information as
well as for enhancing security precautions bydesignating in advance Protection Officers("POs") who help to secure the safety of thesepeople.

Outline of the system for certifying the competent
Prefectural Centers to Promote Movements for
Elimination of Violence(4) Comprehensive Anti-Firearms Measures
The majority of shooting incidents arecaused by Boryokudan, so the police havebeen
implementing
comprehensive
anti-firearms measures by focusing on
detecting handguns under the control of
Boryokudan. To cope with the difficult
situation
regardingfirearms,
agencies
concerned are implementing countermeasures
under the leadership of the Council for
Promoting Firearm Controls chaired by the
Chairperson of the NPSC. In May 2014, thePlan for Promoting Firearms Control FY2014
was formulated with the aim to uncovercaches of firearms in Japan, and also to securepublic understanding of and cooperation forthe control of firearms.

Security drills by the police- 11 -

Changes in the number of handguns seized by using the Dial 110 for Handgun Reward System (2008 - 2014)
Year
Classification
No. of phone calls (cases)
No. of handgun seized by notifications (handgun)
Incentive (10,000 yen)

2008
695
1
0

2009
1,315
2
25

2010
1,646
1
46

2011
1,145
8
123

2012
1,981
1
26

2013
2,662
1
0

2014
3,811
17
75

Note: The value for 2008 is that of from May 2008, when the operation started, to December 2008.

While thoroughly collecting information
regarding illegal handguns, the police are alsoutilizing various investigation methods forseizing the arsenals of organized crime groups
and exposing smuggling and trafficking ofhandguns. To strengthen border controls, thepolice have been reinforcing collaboration
with the customs authorities, the Japan Coast
Guard and other agencies concerned.
In order to encourage citizens to provide thepolice with information about illegal
handguns, the Dial 110 for Handgun Reward
System was initiated using a toll-free number
as an emergency line to report illegal
handguns. Prefectural police headquarters
receive calls and provide rewards dependingon the information provided or the extent ofcooperation in the investigation.

funds to criminal organizations related todrugs, the Act Concerning Special Provisions
for Narcotics is applied to ensure the arrest ofmoney launderers, as well as the confiscationor forfeiture of proceeds from crimes related
to drugs.
The majority of the drugs abused in Japan
come from abroad. Therefore, it is importantto promote drug countermeasures incollaboration with concerned agencies ofJapan and other countries. In order to stop theflow of drugs into the country at the border,
the police have been reinforcing collaboration
with the customs authorities, the Japan Coast
Guard, and other agencies concerned. The
policearedeveloping
international
coordination, such as information sharing, bysending personnel abroad for overseas
investigation and multinational conferences.
Additionally, because the Internet has madeit easier for traffickers to sell drugs to
unspecified abusers, the police carry out
thorough crackdowns on drug trafficking bygathering information about drug trafficking
online through reports from the Internet
Hotline Center (IHC) and through cyberpatrols.
(2) Complete Elimination of the Demand for
Drugs
In order to eliminate the demand for illicit
drugs completely, Japanese society at large
should uphold a moral standard under which
drug abuse is never allowed. While cracking
down on drug abusers, the police have been
conducting public relations and educational
activities to nurture public opinion favorable
to the elimination of drug abuse from society
as a whole. Particularly for the purpose of
preventing young people from abusing drugs,
the police have provided schools nationwide
with brochures, which explains the harmful
effects of drug abuse. The police have been

2. Anti-Drug Measures
The police have been advancing
comprehensive anti-drug measures that
include both shutting off drug supply andeliminating drug demand by conducting
crackdowns on drug offenses, as well as
public relations and educational activities
aimed at informing the public of the risks andharmful effects caused by drugs.
(1) Shutting off Supply Routes of Drugs
In the investigation of drug offenses, it isimportant to uncover supply routes of drugs
and to eliminate crime organizations lying
above drug abusers. The police have beenpromoting effective investigation methods
such as actively utilizing wiretapping andother methods in the crackdown on organizedcrime. Furthermore, in order to impose
heavier penalties on traffickers and otherrelated dealers, the police are advancing
arrests on smugglers and trafficking pursuant
to the Act Concerning Special Provisions for
Narcotics. Also, for the purpose of cutting off- 12 -

working together with the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology (MEXT) in order to send lecturers
to junior and senior high schools throughout
Japan to give classes on the topic of theprevention of drug abuse.
(3) Measures against Dangerous Drugs
As there have been cases such as fatal car
accidents caused by abusers of Dangerous
Drugs, Dangerous Drugs have become aserious social issue. In view of this, a meetingof the Council for Promoting Measures toPrevent Drug Abuse was held in July 2014,
which included the attendance of Cabinet
members. At that meeting, Emergency
Measures for Eradicating Dangerous Drug
Abuse was formulated to thoroughly grasp theactual situation of Dangerous Drugs and toraise public awareness about their risks,
among other matters. Based on this, the police
have been working in close cooperation withother agencies concerned to ensure that theJapanese government can enhance various
countermeasures in an integral manner.
With the amendment to the Pharmaceutical
Affairs Act (now the Pharmaceutical andMedical Device Act: PMD Act, a ban on thepossession and use of designated substances
was enforced inApril 2014. In order toeliminate the demand for Dangerous Drugs,
the police rely on the PMD Act, other laws
and regulations for the rigorous cracking
down on Dangerous Drug abusers. Strict
regulations are imposed on drivers exhibiting
unusual behaviors seemingly under the
influence of Dangerous Drugs, and traffic
accidents caused by such drivers are strictly
investigated. Some Dangerous Drugs which
are labeled and sold as legal herbs can cause
the death of abusers. The police have creatededucational materials to inform young people
about the risks of Dangerous Drug abuse.
These materials are used in classes on the
topic of the prevention of drug abuse. Public
relations and educational activities conductedin various traffic safety programs focus on theneed to prevent the spread of Dangerous Drugabuse.

Educational video about the risks of dangerous drugs(Osaka Prefectural Police)

In Japan, groups of substances having achemical structure similar to that of narcotics
or other designated substances are collectively
regarded as designated substances as definedin the PMD Act. Dangerous Drugs containing
designated substances are thus subject toregulations under law. The PMD Act wasamended in December 2014 to increase theregulations that shops selling Dangerous
Drugs must comply with the orders issued by
the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare
for product inspection or suspension of sale,as well as to tighten restrictions on theadvertisement of dangerous drugs. Currently,
new Dangerous Drugs are developed insuccession by slightly changing the chemical
structures of existing designated substances.
These drugs are beyond the control of theregulations.
Additionally,
many
advertisements for dangerous drugs are postedon the Internet. In response to such situations,the police have been sharing information
about Dangerous Drugs that they havecollected in the course of their investigations
with other agencies concerned so that theseagencies can take appropriate measures.

3.
MeasuresagainstTransnational
Organized Crime(1) Analyzing Networks of Transnational
Crime Organizations and Tightening
Strategic Control
Transnational crime organizations havemembers from various countries and havebeen expanding their networks in an- 13 -

increasingly complex manner. The National
Police Agency (NPA) integrates and analyzes
the information on transnational crimeorganizations collected by prefectural police.
The NPA cooperates actively with foreign law
enforcement authorities and, if necessary, via
INTERPOL to obtain and analyze information
about their activities across national borders.
(2) Cooperation Efforts with Relevant
Agencies in Japan
There exist different languages andlifestyles in areas having a high population
density of foreign nationals, so problems
between Japanese and foreign residents tend
to occur in the course of their daily lives.
Foreign residents find it often difficult toobtainsafetyinformationintheirneighborhoods. Under such circumstances,some of these foreign residents cannot easily
adapt their way of life to the Japanese one, ormight become victims of crimes or accidents.
It is also possible that transnational crimeorganizations
may
infiltratethese
communities and recruit foreign residents forcriminal activities. The police have been
cooperating with residents of areas having ahigh population density of foreign nationals aswell as with organizations and groups
concerned in order to promote various
programs, including classes given by thepolice on the topics of crime prevention,
traffic safety, etc.

Futsal sports meet held in an area having a highpopulation density of foreign nationals(3) Cooperation Efforts with Relevant
Agencies Overseas
It is vital to exchange information andcooperate in investigations with related
foreign law enforcement authorities to fightagainst crime organizations operating acrossmultiple countries/regions. Japanese police
have been promoting international cooperation
with foreign investigative agencies and, if
necessary, via INTERPOL.
Column: Inauguration of the INTERPOL
Global Complex for Innovation
The INTERPOL Global Complex for
Innovation(IGCI)
wasofficiallyinaugurated in April 2015 to complement
the General Secretariat in Lyon, France.
The IGCI aims at countering cybercrimes,
boosting cyber security, and providing
training for INTERPOL staff members andpolice officers of its member countries. The
IGCI's first Executive Director is aJapanese official from the NPA.
The number of criminals and suspects whoflee Japan after committing crimes hasremained at a high level. When any suspects
are likely to flee Japan, the police contact
immigration authorities, under the Ministry ofJustice, to seek help in the search and arrest of
the suspects before they can leave Japan.

Changes in the number of suspects fleeing abroad (2005 - 2014)
Year
Number of suspects fleeing abroad (people)
Number of which are foreigners (people)

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

819

833

817

775

845

879

847

818

798

745

651

656

665

633

683

705

677

654

650

624

- 14 -

4. Measures against Criminal Proceeds
In order to weaken criminal organizations
such as Boryokudan and eliminate them, it isimportant to prevent criminal proceeds frombeing
transferred
to/from
criminalorganizations and to ensure that criminalorganizations are stripped of criminal
proceeds. The police are promoting
comprehensive measures against criminal
proceeds pursuant to the Act on Prevention ofTransfer of Criminal Proceeds, the Act on
Punishment of Organized Crimes and Controlof Crime Proceeds, and the Act Concerning
Special Provisions for Narcotics. These
measures are implemented in cooperation with
relevant agencies and business operatorsconcerned as well as Financial Intelligence
Units (FIUs) overseas.
(1) Enactment, Amendment, and Effective
Application of the Act on Prevention ofTransfer of Criminal Proceeds
The Act on the Prevention of Transfer of
Criminal Proceeds was enacted in March
2007. This Act reinforces the provisions
regarding identity verification and reportingon suspicious transactions, which wereformerly included in the Act on Confirmationof Customers' Identification by Financial

Institutionetc.
andPreventionofUnauthorized Use of Deposit Account etc. and
the Act on Punishment of Organized Crimes
and Control of Crime Proceeds. The
applicable scope of the Act was expanded toinclude not only financial institutions but also
other business operators. Additionally, thefunctions of the FIU - control over thecollection, arrangement and analysis of
information regarding reports on suspicioustransactions - was transferred from the
Financial Services Agency (FSA) to the NPA
under the supervision of the NPSC.
On the basis of the deficiencies identified
by the FATF in Japan's third mutual
evaluation report, the Act on Prevention ofTransfer of Criminal Proceeds was amendedin April 2011 to include additionalverification requirements for specified
business operators conducting transactions,and amendments as a whole were enforced in
April 2013.
Column: Amendment to the Act on
Prevention of Transfer of Criminal
Proceeds for Addressing Customer Due
Diligence Requirements
After the amendment to the Act on

Trends in reports of suspicious transactions (2005 - 2014)
Annual number of received cases
Annual number of cases(cases)400,000

300,000

200,000

100,000

0
Year
Classificat ion
Annual no. ofreceived cases (cases)

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

98,935

113,860

158,041

235,260

272,325

294,305

337,341

364,366

349,361

377,513Annual no. of
66,812
71,241
98,629146,330
189,749
208,650
234,836
281,475
296,501
348,778disseminated cases(cases)
Note 1: "Annual number of received cases" before March 2007 was the number of received cases by FSA and aft er April 2007 was t he number of received cases by NPSC.
T he number of received cases in 2007 is the sum of those received by FSA and NPSC.
Note 2: "Annual number of disseminated cases" before March 2007 was t he number of cases from FSA disseminated to NPA, and aft er April 2007 was the number ofdisseminated cases from NPSC t o investigative agencies. T he number of disseminated cases in 2007 is the sum of those disseminated by FSA and NPSC.

- 15 -

Punishment of Organized Crimes and Controlof Crime Proceeds and the Act Concerning
Special Provisions for Narcotics.
(3) Promotion of International Cooperation
International cooperation is essential inorder to fight against crimes of global scale
such as money laundering and the financing ofterrorism. Currently, within internationalframeworks such as the FATF, the APG and
the Egmont Group of FIUs, efforts are being
made for formulating and disseminatinginternational standards regarding anti-money
laundering and countering the financing ofterrorism. The NPA has been actively
involved in these efforts. As of the end of
2014, the NPA, under the supervision of the
NPSC, had established frameworks forexchanges of information with the FIUs of 78
countries/regions.

Prevention of Transfer of Criminal
Proceeds in 2011, the FATF noted thatJapanese legislation lacked provisions
explicitly stipulating some of the customer
due diligence requirements that were
included in the FATF's recommendations.
In June 2014, the FATF published astatement in which the FATF encouraged
Japan to promptly address its deficiencies
in countering money laundering and incountering the financing of terrorism.
In response to the statement, the NPA
deliberated on the legal revisions necessary
for satisfying the customer due diligencerequirements stated in the FATF
recommendations.
Based
on
the
deliberation results, the Act on the Partial
Revision to the Act on Prevention ofTransfer of Criminal Proceeds was enacted
in the 187th Diet session in November,2014. The partial revision included
additional
provisions
concerning
requirements for determining methods ofassessing reports of suspicious transactions.
(2) Deprivation of Criminal Proceeds
In order to prevent criminal organizations
from using criminal proceeds for their survival
or expansion as well as for investing in their
future criminal activities, it is important toensure that these organizations are stripped of
criminal proceeds. Criminal organizations
should be deprived of opportunities to conceal
or consume their criminal proceeds before aconfiscation or forfeiture order is given by acourt. Thus, the police are ensuring viabilityof confiscation or forfeiture by actively
requesting restraining orders for confiscationfrom the court prior to indictments of relevant
crime organizations pursuant to the Act on

Trends in restraining orders for confiscation issued prior to indictments (2005 – 2014)
Year
Classification
Act on Punishment of Organized
Crimes and Control of Crime
Proceeds
Act Concerning Special Provision
for Narcotics

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

8(0)

9(3)

21(7)

44(21)

54(23)

70(36)

101(30)148(39)160(54)193(45)

8(5)

3(2)

4(3)

7(5)

8(5)

13(7)

14(4)

16(8)

4(4)

16(9)

Note: Numbers in parentheses indicate offenses committed by Boryokudan members- 16 -

5. Countermeasures for Organized Crime
Posing a New Threat
Organized crime constantly changes in linewith socio-economic development to gain
economic benefits in a more clever andefficient manner while evading crackdowns.
To achieve the elimination of organizedcrime, it is important to gather and analyze
information about the actual situation oforganized crime, as well as that of criminalorganizations and their activities. The police
need to take effective measures based on an
adequate understanding of the changes inthese realities.
The police regard "special fraud" cases thathave recently resulted in a rapid increase as an
example of organized crime posing a new
threat, because these frauds are likely to becommitted by ingeniously organized groups.
The entire police organization has beengathering information about these criminalgroups in order to understand their activities
in their efforts toward the complete

elimination of these groups.
(1) Measures against Special Frauds
Committed in an Organized Manner
Criminal groups that systematically carryout special fraud, particularly leaders and core
members, take on different roles, such as therole of the person who repeatedly phones anddupes the victim, and the role of the person
who goes to a home or other location toreceive the cash. These criminal groups havecollaborators who find locations from which
the groups can make phone calls to victims, orprovidethegroupswithsurrogatebank/savings accounts in the names of people
not connected to the groups. These
collaborators are aware that these locations
and accounts will be used for wrongful
purposes, and are therefore aiding andabetting criminal groups with frauds.
In 2014, the number of Boryokudan
members arrested for special frauds was 698,
accounting for 35.2% of all those who werearrested for special frauds that year. These

Breakdown of one group committing special frauds- 17 -

numbers suggest that special frauds are part of
Boryokudan's funding sources.
For the purpose of arresting core membersof the groups that commit special frauds andalso of eradicating these groups, the police
have decided to strengthen cooperation
between the white-collar crime department
responsible for investigations of fraud cases
and the organized crime department
specializing in the investigation of crimes
committed by Boryokudan. Through this, thepolice use, in the investigation of groupleaders, the statements and confessions ofcriminal group members who are under arrestfor collecting cash from victims, as well as
advance crackdowns on core group members
by utilizing methods of organized criminal
control including collection, integration andanalysis of information regarding activities ofcriminal groups and monetary transferring of
criminal proceeds.

Department of the police is working in close
cooperation with other departments concernedfor eliminating criminal groups taking into
account the local crime situation.

Case: An executive, 33, and other membersof an umbrella organization of the
Yamaguchi-gumi made phone calls toelderly people, impersonating securities
salesmen, to tell them that they would
receive a pamphlet concerning debenture
investments. By convincing some of theseelderly people that they would be able tolater sell the debentures for 1.3 times asmuch as the price they paid, theBoryokudan members defrauded them of a
total of 52 million yen. By January 2015,
fourteen Boryokudan members, including
the executive, were arrested on fraud andother charges.

(2) Measures against Organized Crime inLine with the Local Crime Situation
Not only special fraud cases but also otherorganized crime that are regarded as security
concerns in each local area must be
adequately understood and comprehensively
countered in order to weaken and eliminate
criminal organizations and to eradicate
organized crime. The Organized Crime- 18 -

Section 3 Future Prospects for Measuresagainst Organized Crime
1. The Status Quo and Challenges Facing
Measures against Organized Crime
The police have been comprehensively
countering organized crime by ensuring
centralized control over measures against
Boryokudan, drugs, firearms, internationalorganized crimes and criminal proceeds.
However, criminal organizations continue
to pose serious threats to Japanese society as
they continually modify their activities for the
purpose of evading police controls andachieving economic benefits more ingeniously
and efficiently.
Boryokudan organizations, in particular,
have been increasingly concealing andsophisticating
theiractivities,
while
diversifying their illicit funding activities in
response to the development of the economy
and society. Core bodies of major Boryokudanorganizations such as the Yamaguchi-gumi aremaintaining a solid economic foundation anda human network. The number of arrests forcrimes related to stimulants has remained at ahigh level, and trafficking of stimulants islikely to be an important source of funds for
Boryokudan. The complete elimination ofDangerous Drugs is a major issue that the
government must address within all its
organizations. Crime infrastructure that isdeeply rooted in Japan continues to make iteasy for international crime organizations tocommit crimes behind the scenes. Due to theperpetrating of special frauds by wellorganized criminal groups, it is of urgent
necessity to eradicate these groups by making
full use of all techniques in counteringorganized crime.

organizations and to eradicate organizedcrime, it is necessary to arrest the leaders andmajor executives of criminal organizations. It
is also important to break up the core bodiesof these organizations by ensuring that they
are stripped of criminal proceeds and also by
eliminating their funding sources.
In order to strategically implement
measures that are necessary for these
purposes, information about the current
situation of organized crime must be gathered.
The information collected nationwide needs to
be integrated and analyzed in order toprecisely understand the members, thechain-of-command structures and the funding
activities of criminal organizations. Strategic
countermeasures can be formulated on thebasis of this understanding. Each step in theentire process collection, integration andanalysis of information, elucidation of therealities of organized crimes, formulation ofstrategic measures, and implementation ofthese measures for cracking down on criminalorganizations should be integrated with eachother in order to create a virtuous cycle andensure the effectiveness of the process.
Criminal organizations have been
expanding their sphere of activities by coming
up with enterprises that current laws andregulations do not control or tightly regulate.
Thus, it is necessary to accurately analyze andunderstand factors that facilitate criminalorganizations' activities, so that the need forstrengthened regulations can be examined andidentified.
(2)
Utilizing
Investigation
Methods
Effective in the Controlling of Organized
Crime
In September 2014, a report was submitted
to the Legislative Council of the Ministry ofJustice regarding modifications to the legal
systems.
These
modifications
wererecommended to facilitate the rational andefficient use of wiretaps, as well as tointroduce a system allowing the disposition of
criminal charges by agreement between the

2. Future Efforts for Countering OrganizedCrime(1) Enhancement of Capabilities for
Gathering/Analyzing
Information
andStrategic Measures against Organized Crime
In order to weaken and eliminate criminal- 19 -

prosecutor and the accused. Currently, therelated laws are being amended in response tothis report. When the necessary legal
instruments are in place, wiretaps can and will
be effectively used in the investigation of
specialfrauds.
As
proceduresfor
implementing wiretapping will also be morerational and efficient, wiretaps are expected tobe utilized widely in the future. The system
for the disposition of criminal charges byagreement between the prosecutor and theaccused is likely to work to the advantage ofthe police in the investigation of organizedcrime. On the basis of the legal instrumentsthat will become available, the police willcontinue to seek and examine investigative
methods that are effective for cracking downon organized crime.
The police will also continue discussing
issues concerning conversation monitoring
and witness protection, which were identified
as future challenges in the report to theLegislative Council.
(3) Stronger Partnerships with the
Departments and Agencies Concerned
In order to counter criminal organizations
that are expanding their sphere of activities,
the police collect and analyze information
concerning organized crime for the purpose of
sharing the results with other departments andagencies
concerned,
irrespectiveoforganizational boundaries. The collective
strengths of the police will be utilized throughthepositiveenhancementof
joint
investigations by multiple departments toward
the effective crackdown on criminalorganizations in their efforts to weaken andeliminate these organizations. Regarding thesmuggling of drugs and other internationallyorganized crime, border control will be
implemented in cooperation with the relevant
agencies in Japan as well as investigative
agencies overseas will also be reinforced.
In partnership with the agencies and groups
concerned, the police continue to engage incomprehensive activities for eliminating
Boryokudan. Information regarding thesystems that crime organizations tend to use
for wrongful purposes will be shared with the
public to ensure that countermeasures againstorganized crime will be promoted throughout
the entire society.

- 20 -