Police have turned over to prosecutors their case against Hiroyuki Nishimura, founder of the popular 2channel Internet bulletin board, on suspicion he "abetted" drug dealing.
The cybercrime unit of the Metropolitan Police Department alleges that allowing posts about trade in amphetamines and other drugs to remain on the board constituted abetment, but the police action, which occurred Thursday, has drawn mixed responses from experts ranging from endorsement to skepticism.
With the action against the forum founder, some within the law-enforcement community fear investigators may lose access to important background information from the bulletin board, which is often used by perpetrators to post details about criminal actions or to claim responsibility for them.