Prosecutors are poised to search sites linked to Kobe Steel Ltd. over quality data fabrication by the company, sources close to the situation said.
The prospect of a search emerged after Kobe Steel said in late April that investigators had begun a probe into the fabrication, which could ultimately lead to criminal charges.
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department will conduct investigations at the firm's headquarters in Kobe, its Tokyo office and several of its plants, including the Mooka manufacturing unit in Tochigi Prefecture, the sources said.