9 Japanese extradited from Laos after posing as cops in video call scam

CHIBA (TR) – Nine Japanese nationals have been arrested upon their transfer from Laos for their alleged involvement in an international telephone scam ring where suspects impersonated police officers during video calls, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Oct. 2).

A joint investigation team from the Tochigi and Kanagawa prefectural police arrested the group—men and women ranging in age from 23 to 64, including a 41-year-old unemployed woman of no fixed address—on suspicion of attempted fraud.

Three of the suspects — Sayaka Abe, 41, Yuto Gushiken, 27, and Takahito Kondo, 49 — arrived at Narita International Airport on September 29.

Police have not disclosed whether the suspects have admitted to the charges.

Sayaka Abe, left, Yuto Gushiken, center, and Takahito Kondo (X)

The ring carried out so-called tokushu sagi (“specialized fraud”) scams. In such a crime, a person poses as a policeman or other person of authority to swindle a victim.

According to investigators, the suspects operated as “callers” from a hideout in northern Laos. On June 17, the group allegedly targeted a man in his 60s residing in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture. Posing as law enforcement, they told the victim, “A mobile phone has been fraudulently registered in your name,” and threatened him with arrest if he did not pay a fabricated fee.

Taking the deception a step further, the group instructed the victim to download the messaging app Line to conduct a video call. During the call, a male suspect dressed in a police-like uniform flashed a forged police badge to convince the victim.

However, the scam was thwarted when Laotian authorities raided the overseas base shortly after the call was made. During the June raid, local police detained a total of 17 individuals, including the nine Japanese nationals and eight foreigners, and seized about 120 smartphones and computers.

Authorities noted that this marks the first time Japanese police have successfully dismantled a Japanese specialized fraud syndicate operating out of Laos.

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千叶（TR）——据《朝日新闻》（10月2日）报道，九名日本公民在从老挝被转移回日本后被捕，他们涉嫌参与一个国际电话诈骗团伙，该团伙的嫌疑人在视频通话中冒充警察。

栃木县和神奈川县警方的联合调查组逮捕了这伙人——年龄在 23 岁到 64 岁之间的男女，其中包括一名 41 岁无固定住所的失业妇女——他们涉嫌诈骗未遂。

三名嫌疑人——41岁的阿部沙耶香、27岁的具志坚雄人、49岁的近藤隆仁——于9月29日抵达成田国际机场。

警方尚未透露嫌疑人是否承认指控。

阿部沙耶香（左）、古志坚雄斗（中）和近藤隆仁（X）

该团伙实施所谓的“特专诈骗”。在这种犯罪中，犯罪分子冒充警察或其他执法人员，以诈骗受害者。

据调查人员称，嫌疑人藏身于老挝北部，以“电话诈骗犯”的身份进行诈骗活动。6月17日，该团伙涉嫌以一名居住在福岛县郡山市的60多岁男子为目标。他们冒充执法人员告诉受害者：“有人冒用您的名义注册了一部手机”，并威胁说，如果不支付一笔捏造的费用，就会逮捕他。

为了进一步行骗，该团伙指示受害者下载即时通讯软件Line进行视频通话。通话过程中，一名身穿类似警服的男性嫌疑人出示伪造的警徽，以迷惑受害者。

然而，这起诈骗案在老挝当局接到电话后不久便展开突击搜查，最终被挫败。在6月份的这次突击行动中，当地警方共拘留了17人，其中包括9名日本公民和8名外国人，并缴获了约120部智能手机和电脑。

当局指出，这是日本警方首次成功捣毁一个在老挝活动的日本专业诈骗集团。

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