A senior associate of Japan’s largest yakuza organization was among three men arrested in Roppongi on Monday on suspicion of operating an illegal casino.
70-year-old Chizuka Yamamoto, said to be an “executive” of Takumi-gumi, which is affiliated with yakuza group Yamaguchi-gumi, was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Organizational Crime Countermeasures Division 4 amid reports that customers had been betting on baccarat.
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Yamamoto – who is considered to be the operator – had been running a members-only casino in a room of a multiple tenant building since January 2019, turning over JPY480 million (US$4.5 million) and welcoming hundreds of members.
The venue is being investigated as a potential revenue source for the criminal organization. Yamamoto has denied the charges.
The Metropolitan Police had previously arrested nine people, including the shop manager, in July with subsequent investigations resulting in these latest arrests.
