Ex-Yakuza boss arrested in Bangkok with 30 million baht
A former Yakuza boss with a web of international crimes was arrested in Bangkok’s Sathorn district after a dramatic raid, revealing over 30 million baht in stolen assets. The arrest follows a request from the Japanese Embassy, which sought to revoke his visa due to serious criminal charges.
Thai National Police Inspector General Police General Thatchai Pitaneelabut announced the arrest of a suspect known only by the name Yamaguchi, the leader of a Japanese call centre gang responsible for widespread scams.
The arrest was triggered by a request from the Japanese Embassy in Thailand, which aimed to revoke Yamaguchi’s visa due to multiple arrest warrants in Japan for assault, fraud, theft, and violating organised crime laws.
Yamaguchi, a former member of Japan’s notorious Yakuza, is believed to have masterminded call centre fraud schemes targeting Japanese nationals from Cambodia and Vietnam.
Operating under the guise of an art trading company named Last Samurai Japan, he reportedly laundered money on a global scale.
Police revealed that Yamaguchi had rented a luxury apartment in Bangkok for a staggering 180,000 baht per month while running his illicit activities.
During the raid, Thai immigration police found four other Japanese nationals with criminal records linked to the gang. Officers seized digital assets worth over 30 million baht, as well as uncovered evidence of a global money-laundering operation.
Two Japanese victims of the scam were also rescued from the premises, though one of them had a prior theft conviction in Japan.
The Thai immigration police are now coordinating with their Japanese counterparts to expedite Yamaguchi’s extradition, which is expected by early April. Police are continuing to investigate the full extent of the gang’s operations, which have reportedly defrauded Japanese victims of over 50 million yen (approximately 12 million baht), reported The Pattaya News.
Yamaguchi’s arrest marks a significant victory in the ongoing battle against international fraud and organised crime, with Thai authorities now focusing on dismantling the rest of the operation.
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