8 People Arrested in Tokyo for Illegal Gambling Operation
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Tokyo, Feb. 1 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo police have arrested eight people on suspicion of providing illegal casino gambling for customers in a room in a building in the Japanese capital's Kabukicho entertainment district.
The eight included Hiroshi Hitomi, 44-year-old leader of the illegal gambling operation, who has admitted to the allegation. Investigators from the Metropolitan Police Department searched the room for evidence on Monday.
The operation has earned more than 48 billion yen in revenue since its opening in November 2005, sources familiar with the investigation said.
The police suspect that the operation was a source of funding for gangsters, the sources said.
The operation allegedly provides 24-hour online gambling service, with some 70 to 80 customers visiting per day, one of the largest in the country.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
