Japanese police arrested the chairman of the illegal scout group "Natural" and a senior money-collection executive on May 27, 2024 [3].
This operation targets the financial infrastructure of illegal scouting rings and highlights an ongoing crackdown on organized crime and potential police corruption. The arrests signal a broader effort by the Metropolitan Police Department to dismantle the group's leadership and recover illicit funds.
Chairman Hibata Hiroaki was re-arrested on Amami Ōshima in Kagoshima Prefecture [1]. Two individuals were detained during this specific operation [2]. Following the arrests, suspects were transferred via Haneda Airport to Tokyo, where they are currently held by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Organized Crime Countermeasures Division [1].
The senior executive faces suspicions of concealing roughly 39.2 million yen [1] in introduction-fee money. Investigators are pursuing the case as part of a larger investigation into illegal scout activities. This probe also includes an examination of possible information leaks from within the police force to the group [4].
Details regarding Hibata's previous legal status vary. Some reports indicate the chairman was first arrested in January following a nationwide wanted notice, while other accounts suggest he was apprehended on Amami Ōshima after a year of evasion [1].
The Metropolitan Police Department continues to investigate the flow of funds within the "Natural" group. Authorities are focusing on how the introduction fees were collected, and where the concealed money was stored. The case remains an active investigation as police seek to determine the full extent of the group's financial network and its connections to other criminal enterprises [4].
“Two individuals were detained during this specific operation”
The arrest of high-ranking members of the Natural scout group, combined with allegations of police information leaks, suggests a systemic vulnerability within law enforcement's efforts to combat organized crime. By targeting the money-collection department and seizing tens of millions of yen, authorities are attempting to break the financial incentive for illegal scouting while simultaneously purging internal leaks that have allowed group leaders to evade capture for extended periods.
