Four Arrested, Including Gang(Yakuza) Leaders, for Collecting “Protection Fees” from Adult Entertainment Establishments (Escort agency) in Sendai, Miyagi

Four Arrested, Including Gang(Yakuza) Leaders, for Collecting Protection Fees from Adult Entertainment Establishments (Escort agency) Adult News Japan

Four Arrested, Including Gang Leaders, for Collecting “Protection Fees” from Adult Entertainment Establishments

2024 October 3, 17:19

Four individuals, including senior gang members, have been arrested by police for allegedly receiving “protection fees” from sex escort business operators in the Kokubuncho entertainment district of Sendai City. The suspects are believed to have violated the Prefectural Anti-Organized Crime Ordinance.

Among those arrested are Takahiro Mogami, 55, a senior leader of the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate, and Takayuki Ogura, 41, a gang member, as well as the 45-year-old owner and the 33-year-old employee of the adult entertainment business involved. According to the police, the two gang members allegedly received between ¥20,000 and ¥50,000 in cash as “protection fees” from the business operators around April this year in exchange for allowing them to operate in Kokubuncho, a prominent nightlife district in Sendai City.

The ordinance, which was amended and enforced in July last year, imposes penalties not only on the recipients but also on businesses that pay such protection fees. As a result, the business operators were also apprehended. The police have not disclosed whether the four individuals have admitted to the allegations, citing concerns that it may hinder the ongoing investigation.

In a related operation, approximately 15 officers conducted a one-hour search of the gang’s office on the morning of October 3, seizing two cardboard boxes worth of documents and other materials. Police believe the protection fees served as a financial source for the crime syndicate and are continuing their investigation into the matter.

エラー - NHK