Decades Needed for Investigation Personnel – Revealing 13 Wanted Criminals Beyond Kirishima Suspect
Some suspects are rewarded up to 8 million yen for promising information.
On the morning of January 29th, a man claiming to be Satoru Kirishima, a member of the “East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front” who has been wanted in connection with a series of bombings in the 1970s, passed away. This man, who had been living and working at a construction firm in Fujisawa City, was suffering from stomach cancer. He had been admitted to a hospital in Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, under the name “Hiroshi Uchida.” However, on January 25th, he confessed that he wanted to die under his real name.
“To be honest, it was a surprise to us as well. We only started moving after receiving notification from the Kanagawa Prefectural Police. In the future, documents will likely be submitted naming the deceased man as the suspect Satoru Kirishima, and the prosecution will handle it as a case of non-prosecution due to the death of the suspect.” (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Public Security Bureau official)
Currently, in addition to suspect Kirishima, there are 13 other important fugitives wanted in Japan, including the mastermind of the “Roppongi Club Assault Case” in 2012, suspect Shinichi Mitate (44, reward of 6 million yen).
“Arresting wanted criminals, especially those on the level of important fugitives, is extremely difficult unless they come forward themselves or inadvertently hint at their own crimes. It’s physically impossible to allocate personnel for decades to continue chasing fugitives. Instead, we update arrest warrants monthly and conduct investigations into multiple suspects simultaneously with specialized teams.” (Same Source)
The most wanted criminals listed below may be living quietly in your neighborhood under a false name.
The hospital in Kamakura City where the man claiming to be suspect Kirishima was hospitalized. Due to the refusal of relatives to claim the body, it seems he will be treated as an unattended death.