Prosecutors began procedures Friday to distribute funds seized by Swiss authorities to victims of an illegal high-interest loan scam run by a group affiliated with the Yamaguchi-gumi yakuza syndicate.
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office began accepting applications from victims after authorities in Zurich in May delivered about ¥2.9 billion they seized as unlawful profits by the group, called Goryokai, from a Credit Suisse bank account.
Japan and Switzerland had earlier agreed to divide between them around 58 million Swiss francs (¥6 billion) seized by Swiss authorities from the bank account, with Japan's portion to be returned to the loan-shark victims.