Osaka Prefectural Police on Monday said an upper member of the recently troubled Yamaguchi-gumi organized crime group has died following a shooting incident inside an office in Naniwa Ward, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Oct. 26).
At approximately 12:30 p.m., Toshiyuki Kawaji, a 52-year-old boss in the Kuramoto-gumi, was found collapsed with a single gunshot wound inside an affiliate gang’s headquarters, located in the Minami entertainment area.
The victim was later transported to a nearby hospital where he died.
The Yamaguchi-gumi, which is Japan’s largest organized crime group, split last month. Law enforcement has since raided the headquarters of a number of its affiliate gangs and those of its newly formed rival gang, the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi.
Police are treating the case as either a suicide or foul play.
The Kuramoto-gumi is a second-tier organization of the Yamaguchi-gumi. It is based in Nara Prefecture.
According to the Sankei Shimbun (Oct. 26), the incident may be connected to internal problems within the Kuramoto-gumi.
The incident took place approximately 150 meters from the west side of JR Naniwa Station.
Font: Tokyo Reporter -- Oct 26
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