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Over half of gangsters in Japan belong to Yamaguchi-gumi(Mainichi Daily News Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)Over half of all gangsters in Japan belong to the Yamaguchi-gumi, the nation's largest crime syndicate, according to the National Police Agency (NPA). Police are becoming more wary of the Yamaguchi-gumi as it has been aggressively absorbing other gangs under its umbrella since last August when the current leader took over. The overall number of gangsters, which had been increasing since 1996, turned downward last year. The NPA has confirmed that there were approximately 43,300 gangsters across the country as of the end of last year, a decrease of 1,000 from a year earlier. The number rises to about 86,000 if associate members are included. The figure is down 700 from the previous year. However, the Kobe-based Yamaguchi-gumi has increased its members. It had some 21,700 full members, up 900 from a year earlier. They accounted for 50.1 percent of all gangsters in Japan. It has 19,300 associate members, an increase of 900. Some 73 percent of Japan's gangsters belong to one of the nation's top three crime syndicates -- the Yamaguchi-gumi, the Sumiyoshi-kai and the Inagawa-kai, the NPA said. Crime syndicates, which mainly extort money from businesses in their territories under the pretext of "protection fees," have expanded the scope of their activities to include so-called "it's me, send money" fraud and organized thefts. (Mainichi) [Mainichi Daily News / February 10] |