Investigation of Anonymous, Fluid Criminal Groups: Devise Ways to Quickly Respond to Diversifying Tactics

Editorial

17:39 JST, February 1, 2026

Criminal organizations whose members are connected via social media to make their activities difficult to track are diversifying their tactics even further. Police must employ all possible investigative methods to deter crimes.

Called “tokuryu,” these criminal groups are anonymous and fluid.

Recently, so-called hit-and-away crimes have become more conspicuous. These involve foreign nationals entering Japan as temporary visitors, committing crimes such as special fraud and then leaving the country immediately.

From January to October last year, police nationwide took action against 59 individuals, three times the number uncovered in the same period the previous year. Many of these individuals were from countries such as Malaysia and China.

A man of Taiwan citizenship was arrested for acting as a cash collector in a fraud case in which another individual posed as a police officer and swindled someone out of their cash by falsely claiming it was for an investigation. The man was reportedly approached by a stranger in Fujian Province, China, who offered him a delivery job and sent him to Japan.

Criminal masterminds based overseas are believed to be recruiting foreigners and directing them to commit crimes in Japan. This likely stems from the increasing difficulty of securing individuals within Japan for roles such as cash collectors due to a tightened police crackdown.

The damage caused by special fraud from January to November last year totaled ¥121.3 billion, continuing the upward trend of recent years. Moreover, even when cash collectors are arrested, it is difficult to trace them back to the criminal mastermind. It seems that more foreign nationals will continue to be sent to Japan as sacrificial pawns.

Tokuryu groups have a mixture of Japanese and foreign members. Operating both domestically and internationally, these members come together to commit various crimes, including fraud, robbery and drug trafficking, and then disperse. They have an extremely detrimental impact on public safety.

Hiroki Tsutsui, who assumed the Metropolitan Police Department’s top post of superintendent general in January, said, “We will work hard to dismantle illegal businesses.” It is hoped that the police will exert their full strength toward eliminating such organizations.

Tokuryu groups are becoming more sophisticated in their crimes, which include making fraudulent calls from overseas via automated voice systems and using artificial intelligence to create videos of fake police officers. It is important for the police to adopt new investigative techniques.

Bank accounts for depositing criminal proceeds are being illegally traded online. Police said that they plan to take advantage of this tactic by creating accounts under fictitious names while concealing police officers’ identities, then having criminal organizations use these accounts.

Cooperation with foreign investigative agencies is essential for uncovering overseas bases and the masterminds of criminal organizations. It is hoped that cooperation will be deepened, including by sharing information on criminal methods and records of travel to and from Japan by suspects.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 1, 2026)