Police on Sunday arrested a top leader of Sumiyoshi-kai, one of Japan's largest yakuza groups, for allegedly conspiring to obstruct compulsory seizure of assets by creditors, officials said.
Sumiyoshi-kai chairman Hareaki Fukuda, who had been sought by police since Friday when they obtained an arrest warrant on him, showed up at the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters Sunday morning. He reportedly told investigators that he had nothing to do with any such conspiracy.
It was the first time in 36 years that a chairman of Sumiyoshi-kai, which comprises about 10,000 members in 20 prefectures throughout Japan, has been arrested. Fukuda has served as chairman since 1998 and is believed to be the No. 2 leader of the syndicate.