Drift gang leader, 19 others arrested

Tuesday 04th August, 08:45 AM JST

TOKYO —

The leader of a gang of drifters, Tetsuya Okajima, 40, and 19 other drift racers have been arrested, police said Monday. Police said they had also ascertained the identity of a total of 84 drift racers.

The 20 have been charged with dangerous driving by the traffic enforcement bureau of the Metropolitan Police Department. According to police, Okajima was the leader of the hotrodding gang known as the “Blacks,” and is an influential member in the drifter world.

Okajima was quoted as saying: “No matter how many times you arrest me, I’m still going to cruise on public roads.”

The group was arrested for drifting in four vehicles around 1:30 a.m. some mornings at Oi Pier in Tokyo’s Ota Ward since May.

News reports

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Latest 15 of 34 Total Comments Show All

Disillusioned at 04:08 PM JST - 4th August

Regardless of all the pro-drifter statements it is a dangerous pass time that should be controlled. However, I know this series of arrests is only for show. The problem with these hoons is, they don't only drift on their closed-off sections of the roads, they also race around town whenever and where ever they go. There is no way of stopping this trend, so the cops have to do something about organising drift meetings - If you get caught road racing, drifting, burnouts, etc. in N.S.W. Australia your car is confiscated and crushed, then the footage of your car being crushed is used TV campaigns promoting the punishment.
nisegaijin at 05:06 PM JST - 4th August

Disillusioned, that's because unlike Japan, Australia doesn't have a constitution protecting your private property. In Japan supreme court will not allow confiscation. In America people have the right to shoot fools who try to "confiscate"
gogogo at 05:27 PM JST - 4th August

Den Den: Actually the main guy is a contender in D1 and MSC, Japan's two biggest drift championships. He was the "leader" because he posted a get together on his blog to which the police read it. They were "arrested" for doing a burnout, they were not drifting, the other people "arrested" where arrested for modifications to their cars.
MeanRingo at 08:39 PM JST - 4th August

Go after the bosozoku before they graduate and get cars to drift in. They are all the same pile of shart, just aged differently.
Foxie at 10:06 PM JST - 4th August

Considering that Tokyo Drift was such a hit movie, drifters should get a race course where they can drift all they want. I'd much rather go and see that than a Manga Museum plus a lot of tourists would be very interested in seeing them.
TumbleDry at 10:27 PM JST - 4th August

drifters are annoying like the b****** in the front of my house with his loud scooter. make their cars to look like stars and put them on the sea shore. that will be useful for one...
LFRAgain at 12:36 AM JST - 5th August

Den Den,

You took the words right out of my mouth: Forty and still drift-racing? I can't think of anything more sad and pathetic. Well, except for maybe being a 40-year old who was busted for drift-racing . . .
mmqmui at 12:46 AM JST - 5th August

I bet you this article was taken out of context. the 40 year old guy was probably taking responsibility for everyone's action and not literally a "gang leader", and the translation of his quote was probably translated too literal.

this is the media, they are going to try to make any story more dramatic and controversial than it really is to catch your attention.
WhiteHawk at 01:00 AM JST - 5th August

societymike:

But to call them "gangs" is just the equally bored media finding new words to draw attention to something so petty and small. These guys are not "gangs". They are "teams" or "clubs". They hang out, go to events at tracks, drive together at night, but they are not gangs out robbing or being huge menaces to society.

I think it's probably just a translation issue with the word "ぐみ".

smithinjapan:

Well, now we have the plot for Fast and Furious 5.

It's bound to be better than the plot for the previous four movies...

GW:

I dont feel sorry for these SOBs, they drive like maniacs all over the place, while not drifting the things I have seen these jerks do in regular traffic defy explanation, I have seen some incredibly reckless driving by these types where I live [and] a few years ago one passed another car going up a hill on a curve headoned an oncoming car [and] 4-5 dead resulted, only the driver survived. So while we dont hear to many accidents or deaths when "drifting" these same a-holes have [and] are causing havoc [and] heart ache all over the place, wud be nice if the keystones got serious about these numbskulls!

True, but there are traffic laws against their other reckless and dangerous actions as well. Perhaps those should be enforced first, since they occur out in traffic.

nisegaijin:

In America people have the right to shoot fools who try to "confiscate"

That's a bit of an exaggeration, don't you think?

Foxie:

Considering that Tokyo Drift was such a hit movie, drifters should get a race course where they can drift all they want.

Yes, they have them. A quick google search found several: http://www.driftsession.com/driftingtracklayout.htm
DXXJP at 03:05 AM JST - 5th August

You took the words right out of my mouth: Forty and still drift-racing? I can't think of anything more sad and pathetic. Well, except for maybe being a 40-year old who was busted for drift-racing . .

Yes lets all get frontwheel drive cars convert them to rear wheel drive and make millions doing left hand turns on sunday.

Im 44 and still drift all over the world care to say it to may face.
KitsuneYoukai at 03:19 AM JST - 5th August

I would love to go see them drift. Maybe next time while in Japan I can find out where I need to go to check one out. I think they should be allowed so long as the roads are shut down. I dont think it's any difference than race car driving. Same risk involved except race car drivers are in a confined place but they can get seriously injured or killed just the same by doing something they love to do. Crazy, yes, but you'll always have people who love living dangerously.
DXXJP at 04:30 AM JST - 5th August

Kitsune

Go to Ebisu circuit ask for Kumakubo and tell him the inshiki gaijin sent you. You can even take a drift class or he might even give you a ride along.
WhiteHawk at 07:19 AM JST - 5th August

Saying that Tetsuya Okajima needs to grow up is a bit like saying that Jeremy Clarkson needs to grow up. Sure it's true, but then they wouldn't be who they are.
NeoGeo at 10:05 PM JST - 5th August

hey your supposed to speed away from the cops when they after you, doh!
LFRAgain at 12:44 AM JST - 8th August

DXXJP

" . . . care to say it to may face.**

I think the point I was trying to make about a tragic lack of maturity among 40-year old, ahem, "drift racers" was made perfectly with this little gem.

Yes, I would tell you to your face that knowingly and willfully blowing down public streets at high speed with total disregard for traffic laws in order to give yourself an outlet for pent-up inadequacy issues is idiotic and pathetic. I guess the appropriate thing for me to say now it, "Yeah. And what are you gonna' do about it?"