A murder-robbery case in Tochigi Prefecture involving tokuryū quasi-gangster groups, along with the subsequent arrest of six suspects — four high school boys and a young couple — is highlighting how tokuryū groups are adapting to police crackdowns.
Last week, four 16-year-old boys broke into the house of a 69-year-old woman in the prefecture, stealing valuables and stabbing her to death. All four boys have since been arrested, along with a couple in their 20s who are thought to have been handlers who gave the teenagers instructions.
Police believe there might have been involvement by senior members of tokuryū groups, which thrive on anonymity and a lack of structure, in orchestrating the scheme.