Japanese Authorities Arrest Suspects in 6.6B Yen Submarine Scam, 7.4M Lottery Fraud, JP Dragon Leader Detained, 2.63B Online Casino Bets, 524B Securities Fraud

Japanese and foreign authorities have arrested multiple individuals involved in several large-scale fraud and criminal activities. In Osaka, five men, including 52-year-old Rikiya Okawa (also known as Seo Seicho), were detained for illegally soliciting investments without registration, raising approximately 6.6 billion yen from about 15,000 people by promising high dividends in a submarine exploration business. Separately, eight men and women were arrested in Tokyo and Saitama for defrauding a woman in her 70s of around 7.4 million yen by falsely claiming they could guarantee lottery winnings through fortune-telling under the alias "Tenjin Fukujyu." In another case, a three-person group was arrested for a "land broker" scam in Osaka involving more than 1.4 billion yen, with most payments reportedly made in cash. Authorities also detained 55-year-old Ryuji Yoshioka, suspected leader of the criminal organization "JP Dragon," in the Philippines; the group is linked to large-scale phone fraud and illegal gambling operations, including an online casino where 3,600 customers wagered approximately 2.63 billion yen. Additionally, nine individuals were arrested in Kanagawa Prefecture for managing an online casino payment system and facilitating illegal gambling, with the group’s accounts handling nearly 90 billion yen in bets. Financial regulators reported that hijacked securities accounts were used for unauthorized trading amounting to over 524 billion yen in 2025, involving manipulative stock transactions. Furthermore, a 61-year-old man wanted for a 30-year-old robbery and assault case in Tokyo’s Ota Ward was apprehended in Manila and is slated for extradition to Japan. Other arrests include a former executive of "Nihon Kakekomi-dera" re-arrested for cocaine possession and a 44-year-old man connected to unauthorized purchases using stolen credit card information. These developments highlight ongoing efforts by Japanese law enforcement and international cooperation to combat organized crime, fraud, and illegal gambling activities.