Cabinet Members to Discuss Measures Against ‘Dark’ Jobs Solicited on Social Media

The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:00 JST, March 10, 2023

In response to a string of robberies involving “dark” part-time jobs solicited on social media, the government is planning to hold a meeting with all Cabinet members on crime control this month to strengthen countermeasures, government sources said.

It has been decided that the government as a whole must take serious measures to stop the deterioration of the public’s sense of security.

In robberies that have occurred in the Kanto region and elsewhere, young people who responded to offers of high-paying dark part-time jobs were the alleged perpetrators of the crimes. The brutality of intruding into houses and robbing residents of their money and property by violence has caused widespread public concern. According to the National Police Agency, there have been at least 50 cases of such robberies in Tokyo and 13 other prefectures since the summer of 2021.

The Ministerial Meeting Concerning Measures Against Crime, presided over by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, will be held this month to discuss measures to eradicate dark part-time jobs, according to the sources. In addition to a crackdown by police, the meeting is expected to focus on measures to remove postings soliciting perpetrators on social media and to strengthen publicity to encourage young people not to get involved in such activities.

Because there is a possibility that wealthy people were specifically targeted as victims, measures to prevent the leakage of asset information are also expected to be discussed.

Fraudsters and illegal drug traffickers have also used social media to solicit perpetrators, and the government will consider countermeasures for such cases.

The Ministerial Meeting Concerning Measures Against Crime was established in 2003 in response to the deterioration of public safety that became a social problem in the early 2000s. The goal is to promote comprehensive measures not only by police but also by various ministries and agencies. So far it has decided on measures to combat child pornography, eliminate gangs and prevent terrorism.