How will the “semi-gres” groups, which are gaining momentum, move in 2023?

There have been calls for some time for the need for legal regulations, such as the Violence Against Gangs Law, regarding the semi-gres, but the reality is that it is difficult to do so at this time. However, police authorities have confirmed that there are approximately 80 groups of semi-gres with about 4,000 members nationwide. A database of personal information, from leaders to members, has been compiled to ascertain the actual situation.

Although the semi-gres are dispersed among about 80 groups, the figure of about 4,000 is a huge force, almost equivalent to the nationwide membership of the Yamaguchigumi VI, which the police authorities will have ascertained in 2021. The aforementioned senior investigator said, “The number of groups is not definite. The number increases and decreases repeatedly. Even though it is called a group, the members communicate with each other via SNS, etc., and the members are replaced each time. I don’t think they even know which members are in the group.

In October 2022, an incident occurred in which the roughness of the semi-gangs, which even the police authorities are having a hard time dealing with, was exposed. A celebration for the release from prison of the leader of the semi-gore group “Chinese Dragon” was being held at a restaurant on the 58th floor of Sunshine 60, a high-rise building in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, where one can enjoy a meal while looking out at the night skyline.

As a result of not only fisticuffs but also beer bottles and glasses being thrown at each other, tables in the restaurant were overturned and broken plates and glasses were scattered. By the time police officers arrived at the scene after receiving a call, the restaurant was a complete mess.

The Chinese Dragon is believed to have started out as a motorcycle gang and in recent years has been funding bank transfer scams and extortion. The police authorities have been the target of important investigations, and this is the first major news story in a long time.

In December 2022, the Metropolitan Police Department established a new special task force in the Organized Crime Department in order to gain a better understanding of these violent gangs and suppress their activities. The unit will collect information across the department to uncover cases of bank transfer fraud, gambling, extortion, and illegal adult entertainment business, as well as to crack down on juvenile delinquents and motorcycle gangs to uncover the realities of the groups and their sources of funding.

An old senior official of one of the designated gangs mentioned above, who was commenting on the younger members of the gangs, said, “The semi-gres are unrelated to the Violence Against Boryokudan Law. They can do whatever they want,” he said with a sense of self-mockery, referring to his own situation in which his activities are regulated by the Violence Against Boryokudan Law.

However, as mentioned above, the Metropolitan Police Department plans to strengthen investigations by establishing a specialized investigation unit at the end of 2022, so it remains to be seen whether the semi-gres will be able to continue their activities as before after the beginning of 2023. A new battle between the police and the semi-gres will begin.