Japan Police Act on 1,322 Juveniles in “Tokuryu” Cases in ’25

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)--Japanese police took action against 1,322 people aged under 20 last year for crimes linked to “tokuryu” anonymous and transient criminal groups, the National Police Agency said Thursday.

Of them, 425 were involved in fraud, 247 in thefts and 200 in drug offenses.

Those involved in robberies totaled 116, accounting for about 40 pct of all suspects in tokuryu-linked robbery cases, including adults. “Masterminds (of tokuryu groups) appear to assign juveniles roles that carry a high risk of being caught for their crimes, effectively treating them as disposable,” an NPA official said.

This is the first time that the agency has compiled data on juvenile offenses related to tokuryu crimes.

As for how juveniles became involved in tokuryu-related crimes, 26.7 pct joined through social media, such as by applying for so-called “dark” part-time jobs. This is lower than the 40.6 pct among adult suspects, suggesting that juveniles are more likely to be drawn into crimes through acquaintances rather than social media.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]