U.S. Treasury freezes assets of yakuza gang

Thank you America. Please continue your good work against yakuza.

I'll remember not to wear my American flag T-shirt the next time I roll through Kobe or Kabuki-cho.

Fighting Yakuza needs cultural work. In a country where "Intimidation" is the most common way of conflict resolution, you will always have Yakuza where their physical presence is desired.

This is the 2nd round US Treasury freezes Yakuza's asset. There will be more to follow:

The YAKUZA

The Yakuza (a.k.a. Boryokudan; a.k.a. Gokudo) was listed in the Annex to E.O. 13581 for its involvement in serious criminal activities, including weapons trafficking, prostitution, human trafficking, drug trafficking, fraud and money laundering. The Yamaguchi-gumi is the largest and most prominent of the Yakuza's crime families, and is being designated today for acting for or on behalf of the Yakuza. The Yamaguchi-gumi has a pyramid structure with a kumicho ("godfather") at the top. Today's action also imposes sanctions on Kenichi Shinoda, the Yamaguchi-gumi kumicho since August 2005, as well as the Yamaguchi-gumi's wakagashira ("deputy godfather"), Kiyoshi Takayama, both for acting for or on behalf of Yamaguchi-gumi.

As leaders of the Yamaguchi-gumi crime syndicate, both Shinoda and Takayama play key roles in directing the syndicate's policies and settling disputes with other Yakuza syndicates. The Yamaguchi-gumi is involved in criminal endeavors in Japan and abroad, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, extortion, prostitution, fraud and money laundering. The Yamaguchi-gumi is estimated to generate billions of dollars annually in illicit proceeds.

1.SHINODA, Kenichi (a.k.a. TSUKASA, Shinobu); DOB 25 Jan 1942; POB Oita Kyushu, Japan (individual) [TCO] 1.TAKAYAMA, Kiyoshi ; DOB 5 Sep 1947; POB Tsushimasi, Aichi Prefecture, Japan (individual) [TCO]

(Ghana) (individual) [TCO] 1.YAMAGUCHI-GUMI (a.k.a. ROKUDAIME YAMAGUCHI-GUMI; a.k.a. SIXTH YAMAGUCHI-GUMI), 4-3-1 Shinohara-honmachi, Nada-Ku, Kobe City, Hyogo, Japan [TCO]

I think the U.S. govt. should do their Own Wash First!- Lord knows there is plenty enough organized crime right here,Gangs of every nationality & race.Good luck with this project,you'll need it!

Good to see this being done by someone...

Well at least the US does something to deal with them. I guess those being cut off won't have the funds to now be rewarded construction contracts??

America and the Obama regime can do anything it pleases to fine banks, freeze assets.... absolutely anything and its legal, its democratic and blah blah blah.... Absolutely rediculous, I'd like to see the evidence of transfer, how do you tell between a drug dollar by the Yakusa from a dollar earned from a news paper stand? The American regime is definitely a war of terror.

Bart,

Yep. Don't you think this affects the US as well? Or should they close their eyes and ears and pretend the outside world does not exist? Kinda like a revival of the Sakoku?

I think the U.S. govt. should do their Own Wash First!- Lord knows there is plenty enough organized crime right here,Gangs of every nationality & race.Good luck with this project,you'll need it!

Oh, they do... You know not what you are speaking of... In The U.S. we have REAL laws, that make it a crime to even associate with organized crime members... I might remind you that Organized Crime Gangs are LEGAL in Japan... Just in case you didn't know that little bit of info...

These Yazuka kiddie gangs wouldn't survive 10 minutes in NY or any other city if they tried to operate under any of the ways they get away with in Japan. If not by the FBI, other REAL Mafia organizations would close send them packing, or pack them in suit cases...

Just read up on a few of the things they get away with here in Japan... JCops are afraid of them... That sure as heck isn't the case in the U.S..... Not even in the same league... Kiddie gangs...

The U.S. should even go farther and start some "Extraordinary Extradition" (as we've did, and continue to do in Europe and Middle east) The only way to shut these kiddie gangs down... Maybe start dropping them in N.Korea... There would be NO repeat offenders...

"Thank you America. Please continue your good work against yakuza." Indeed, because the Japanese police certainly will not be doing it!

Bartholomew HarteJan. 24, 2013 - 10:54AM JST

I think the U.S. govt. should do their Own Wash First!- Lord knows there is plenty enough organized crime right here,Gangs of every nationality & race.Good luck with this project,you'll need it!

Apparently you do not know anything about the US stance against organized crime and terrorists. We do not fool around with them including Yakuza. We mean business. We can ship them back to Japan in suitcases.

All the tough "Dirty Harry" talk aside, there's no reason why America can't address organized crime internally and externally at the same time. The whole "clean your own house first" argument smacks of ignorance.

@Tiger in the Hermitage,

America and the Obama regime can do anything it pleases to fine banks, freeze assets.... absolutely anything and its legal, its democratic and blah blah blah.... Absolutely rediculous, I'd like to see the evidence of transfer, how do you tell between a drug dollar by the Yakusa from a dollar earned from a news paper stand? The American regime is definitely a war of terror.

Unlike Mother Russia, accounts created in America require accurate identification when opening the account. It's quite easy to identify which accounts are tied to which companies or individuals. It sure would be nice if Russia did the same, eh tovarich? "Evidence of transfer" is not required. The accounts are frozen, not confiscated. Whatever is in there stays in there. Nothing can be taken out or put in once the account is frozen. If the account has never had anything in it, then requiring "evidence of transfer" would be pointless, right?

Explain how America is detering the Yakuza? The FBI/CIA made a deal with a certain Yakuza member on ties from Japan to America in exchange for ready for this a kidney transplant. So they made this deal and bumped this yakuza member to the head of the list in front of everyone that was waiting for a kidney. Some died cause they were bumped.

The FBI/CIA made a deal with a certain Yakuza member on ties from Japan to America in exchange for ready for this a kidney transplant. So they made this deal and bumped this yakuza member to the head of the list in front of everyone that was waiting for a kidney. Some died cause they were bumped.

Umm... not following your sentence. This looks like something created with Google Translate. Are you trying to say that a yakuza member revealed information to the FBI (the CIA would not be involved in U.S. businesses) regarding yakuza operations in the U.S. in exchange for obtaining a priority listing for a kidney transplant, and that "some" died because the yakuza member was allowed to receive a kidney before they were?

Well I looked and I couldn't find ANYTHING about kidney transplants for yakuza members. What I DID find was four yakuza members received LIVER transplants in the period from 2000 to 2004. During the same period, about 100 people died awaiting liver transplants, but there was no word on how many of those people could have used one of the livers the yaks got. Regardless, all that happened a decade ago. A lot can happen in a decade. Allies can become enemies. Please do not try and equate actaions a decade ago to actions now.

@Chin4Sailor

"These Yazuka kiddie gangs wouldn't survive 10 minutes in NY or any other city if they tried to operate under any of the ways they get away with in Japan"

Huh ?

There are mafia and gangs in the US. Have you been sleeping in the last 50 years ? You talk as if the US is a safer country than Japan LOL. Don't kid yourself and get over yourself.

There are mafia and gangs in the US. Have you been sleeping in the last 50 years ? You talk as if the US is a safer country than Japan LOL. Don't kid yourself and get over yourself.

It is true, however US has a strong policy against organize crime and terrorist groups unlike Japan.

@globalwatcher

Well, that strong policy against organize crime hasn't worked that well, has it ? Just like the "war on drugs" has been failing in the last 40 years.

Law enforcement in both countries have strength and weakness. If you prefer American LE who love using excessive force in unnecessary situations, especially against non-whites, that's your preference. They are certainly not better.

Well, that strong policy against organize crime hasn't worked that well, has it ? Just like the "war on drugs" has been failing in the last 40 years

Good positive news are not news, however, it is slowly making a progress. Just want to remind you I am talking about ORGANIZED criminal groups, not chinpira groups.

Well, that strong policy against organize crime hasn't worked that well, has it ? Just like the "war on drugs" has been failing in the last 40 years.

Not true. RICO laws (enacted specifically to thwart organized crime activity) have put a serious dent in organized crime activities. When was the last time Japan arrested a Yak for organized crime?

June 9, 2006 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,198861,00.html

January 20, 2011 http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/01/20/feds-arrest-over-100-in-ny-nj-mob-takedown/

LAST WEEK http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/17/trash-hauling-mob-conspiracy-busted-fbi-ny-nj-racketeering-extortion_n_2494567.html

The U.S. has CONTINUALLY pursued organized crime activities. I ask again, when was the last time Japan arrested someone?

@ Fadamor

"I ask again, when was the last time Japan arrested someone?"

They arrest yakuza members all the time, like last week, and two weeks ago, and like 3 weeks ago. Just because you don't read it on JapanToday doesn't mean it didn't happen.

So what if they arrest some top mafia guys sometimes ? Another guy steps in and the same thing will continue.

Besides, when did I claim that J cops are doing great job against organized crimes ? My post was toward Chin4Sailor who is clueless and claimed like America is a crime free country and they have no mafia or gang issues. It's simply not true

@Hide

You're answering your own questions:

They arrest yakuza members all the time, like last week, and two weeks ago, and like 3 weeks ago.

...

they arrest some top mafia guys sometimes

The US is cracking down on the mafias from the top, while Japan can't touch even lieutenants or lower-ranked officers, just members. Another guy may step in to continue, but with frozen assets, he has much more work cut out for him to continue the business.

How about the attack on the city hall parking area several weeks ago, have there been any big fish arrests made there?

What assets do they have ? Where the public information act ? I want to know.. What city ? What region ?

What do they own ?

I think the U.S. govt. should do their Own Wash First!- Lord knows there is plenty enough organized crime right here,Gangs of every nationality & race.

Back in 2011 the FBI arrested more than 100 suspected Mafia members in a series of early-morning raids. Attorney General Eric Holder called it a major effort to "once and for all" crack the Northeast's major crime families. It was the largest single-day operation against the Mafia in the United States. One of these crime bosses now lives on food stamps in a trailer park in New Jersey. So the U.S. isn't just cracking down on the Yakuza.

What assets do they have ? Where the public information act ? I want to know.. What city ? What region ?

What do they own ?

Again, it doesn't matter what's actually there. If it's assets located in the U.S., they are now frozen and unable to be used by the identified people. They will have to fund their illegal activities from somewhere else.

@Elvensilvan

"Japan can't touch even lieutenants or lower-ranked officers, just members. "

I already explained it. Top mafia guys get arrested here and there in American and someone else steps the following day. yeah, that makes a difference for like 2 days LOL

"How about the attack on the city hall parking area several weeks ago, have there been any big fish arrests made there?"

No, and are you saying someone gets arrested every time a crime is committed in America within several weeks ? Don't kid yourself, American cops aren't all that great. Funny how everybody seems to remember only good things about their home country once they leave

No, and are you saying someone gets arrested every time a crime is committed in America within several weeks ?

Yes.