Police in Kasai, Hyogo Prefecture, have arrested four men over the extortion of 2 million yen from the father of an 18-year-old high school boy whom they threatened and threw into the sea.
According to police, the suspects include Yuji Tsukahara, 26, and Makoto Takizawa, 25, and two 17-year-old boys who have known the victim since junior high school. The four suspects are all construction workers,
Police said that on Aug 17, the gang took the victim, who was not good at swimming, out on a jet ski to open sea off the coastal area north of Kyoto, Sankei Shimbun reported. They then pushed him into the water, leaving him to almost drown before they finally pulled him out.
The suspects then called the child's father, saying that his son had stolen 800,000 yen and demanded its return. They met the father in a parking lot and he handed over the money.
Police said that earlier in August, the same gang had intimidated the boy and forced him to lie to his father that he owed a debt of 1.2 million yen in cash to different debt collectors, which the father paid.
The four were arrested on Sept 21 after the boy and his father consulted police.
© Japan Today
12 Comments
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zurcronium
Construction industry, I do not think so. These four are JV Yaks. This is what Yaks do everyday to the unfortunate who get caught in their web.
Christelle Rojano
This is outright scary. Japanese are honest and kind people in general, so hearing such things is kind of unnatural for me.
Disillusioned
Where are the attempted murder charges?
Radie McDibyoe
those are yakz doing..
senseiman
The wording of the title is a bit amusing if you are familiar with Chinese history.
Open Minded
And the - well-known - big Yak boss sipping a drink with beautiful hostesses while these poor stupid people will end up in jail.
Abhorsenaube
How does the restitution system work in Japan? is the father simply out that 2mil or is there a way for him to get it back from the gang?
toshiko
I don;t think these were Yak members. Maybe 'wannabe' young men. They are lucky police arrested them, The victim's father has cash. Could be a regular customer of Yakuza's illegal gambling houses? Yak bossses usually own businesses and their members own businesses, Bottom members own sub contract construction companies. Yakuzas usually are registered business groups and the organization usually put big 'kanban' on their front office sheowing what is the name of organization. If a member acts like this, little finger chopping off and the finger used to be thrown in garbage but now they are in alcohol filled jar, and they lose membership privilege. After all, they have to behave good so that they can attend corporation stockholders meeting to yell agree of oppose and get good pay. Maybe a Yamaguchi-gumi member advised father to report to Police. It is Japan. Yakuzas have been supposed to aid helpless people from police brutality and that is tradition for generations.
Kobuta Chan
The four were arrested on Sept 21 after the boy and his father consulted police.
Good. Victim must go to Police and seek help from law enforcement. I hope the judge will send those bastards at least 8 years in jail.
toshiko
Among charges I can think will be attempted murders. Prosecutors will be successful. kidnapping, extortion,etc. In this kind of cases, 17 years old will be tried as adults, usually.
Alphaape
Looks like these two were trying to make their "bones" to get in good with the bad guys since they knew the victim.
That's jsut a sterotype. Bottom line is that they are all humans just like the rest of us, subject to greed and vice. No particular race/ethnicity is immune.
I would start off by reporting the debt collectors to the police. If a kid is a minor, they aren't allowed to enter contracts (at least where I'm from) and then go from there. If someone is preying on the young that should be illegal. I imagine they knew the dad/family would pay in order to not "cause a scene" and they preyed on this. Time for people to start standing up.
Bear27840
Finally the father and son did one thing right by going to the police with the problem they were having.