As Japan’s yakuza weakens, police focus shifts to unorganized crime hired via social media

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Police in Japan who were busy tracking thousands of yakuza members just a few years ago have set their eyes on a new threat: unorganized and loosely connected groups they believe are behind a series of crimes once dominated by yakuza. Police call them “tokuryu,” anonymous gangsters and tech-savvy young people hired for specific jobs. Experts say they often cooperate with yakuza, obscuring the boundary between them and making police investigations more difficult. The National Police Agency describes “tokuryu” as “anonymous and fluid” groups that repeatedly form and disband via social media to carry out swindling, illegal betting, prostitution and other crimes often remotely, including from overseas.