Japan Police Send Liaison to Thailand for Fraud Crackdown

Tokyo, June 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s National Police Agency said Thursday that it has assigned a liaison to Thailand to coordinate with authorities in Southeast Asian countries to combat fraud involving “tokuryu” loosely organized anonymous criminal groups. The liaison, a male police officer in his 30s from the NPA’s Second Organized Crime Division, will be based in Bangkok to analyze the crime situation and make early-phase responses to expose fraud operations. Thai authorities play a key role in tackling fraud cases in Southeast Asian countries. Personnel from the United States and European countries are also stationed in Thailand. The Japanese liaison’s main duties include building relationships with Thai authorities and his counterparts from various countries, as well as collecting and analyzing information. When a fraud base is found in a nearby country, the liaison will coordinate a joint investigation when necessary and gather information on Japanese individuals involved. According to the NPA, the amount of money stolen through telephone and other scams classified as special fraud in Japan from January to April this year reached 126 billion yen, jumping some 70 pct from a year before and hitting a record high. Damage has also been reported in Europe and the United States, with annual global losses estimated at more than 400 billion dollars. Many fraud bases are believed to be located in Southeast Asia. Last year, three-quarters of special fraud cases in Japan originated from overseas calls. Local authorities have intensified efforts to crack down on such bases, resulting in the arrests of 54 individuals across four countries last year, including those transferred to Japan. This year, a total of 35 people had been arrested in Cambodia, Indonesia and elsewhere as of the end of May. As the need for international cooperation grows, the NPA has organized international meetings on countermeasures and strengthened exchanges among senior officials. To arrest masterminds of criminal groups, the agency aims to deepen relationships at levels closer to the field. “We want to establish a system in which (offenders) will definitely be caught even if they escape or stay abroad,” an NPA official said. “The liaison is at the forefront of the efforts.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]