Yakuza Arrested for Eighth Time Over Cambodia Scam
A 26-year-old yakuza member suspected of sending young women he met in Tokyo's Kabukicho entertainment district to Cambodia to work as telephone scammers has been arrested for the eighth time, this time on suspicion of conspiring with two women to defraud a man in his 30s of 9.5 million yen. (News On Japan)
A 26-year-old member of the Sumiyoshi-kai, an organized crime syndicate, has been apprehended for the eighth time in connection with a scheme involving young women from Tokyo's Kabukicho entertainment district being sent to Cambodia to act as telephone scammers. The suspect, Teruto Yamao, is alleged to have conspired with two women to defraud a 30-year-old man of 9.5 million yen in January 2026.
The suspects allegedly impersonated police officers and officials during phone calls, tricking the victim into transferring the money. The two women met Yamao in an area known as Toyoko near Shinjuku Toho Building, a popular spot for young people, including teenagers. Yamao has a history of arrests, including charges of kidnapping individuals for forced labor as telephone scammers in foreign countries.
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