The Moment Narcotics Officers Froze During a Yakuza Office Raid
Case Files of a Narcotics G-man (Part 1)
From methamphetamine to marijuana, and now dangerous designer drugs, the world of narcotics has evolved with the times. Ryōji Takahama (77), who spent 36 years on the frontlines as a narcotics control officer (commonly known as “Matri”), shares insider stories from his experience in a short, focused series. The second installment takes place in the 1980s, when many methamphetamine transactions were tied to organized crime. Takahama recalls chilling experiences from drug raids on yakuza offices—two of which are shared here.
The suppliers for drug dealers were often large-scale organized crime groups.
In April 1981 (during my time at the Narcotics Control Office, Investigative Division 2, in the Kinki region), we received information that a man in his 50s, X, a former gang member and coffee shop owner, was selling methamphetamine from his mistress’s home in Osaka. We conducted surveillance and followed X, catching him in the act of obtaining meth in Kyoto. After tailing him, we saw that he returned to the office of a large organized crime syndicate, A-group, in the same city, confirming a connection between X and the gang.
Our plan was to arrest X the next time he obtained meth and returned home. We monitored his movements day and night, eventually catching him. When X got out of his car, we stopped him, showed the warrant, and searched his belongings, finding a zippered plastic bag with around 235 grams of methamphetamine. He was arrested on the spot, and the drugs were seized. A search of his home revealed over ten more small packets, about 15 grams in total, hidden in a drawer of a Japanese-style chest.
Although X refused to disclose his supplier, he fully confessed to his role in the meth trade. Based on the surveillance team’s reports, we knew that A-group was the supplier. We quickly proceeded to the A-group office, parking my father’s work van nearby and conducting nighttime surveillance. However, seeing little activity, we decided to move forward with a raid on the office.
During the raid, we found a zippered plastic bag containing approximately 10 grams of methamphetamine taped under the sink in the office kitchen. The A-group was run by three brothers, with the eldest being the group leader. As we searched the premises, the middle brother, who was in his 30s, turned to the eldest and youngest brothers and said, “I’ll take responsibility this time.” He then admitted, “It’s mine,” acknowledging possession of the methamphetamine and was subsequently taken into custody.
The involvement of the gang leader is denied
I was in charge of interrogating the second son. During the process, I thought, “The second son is not very accustomed to the world and is quite a nice person.” I still remember how easy it was to conduct the interrogation. I realized that if it had been the third son, who was present at the gang office and filled with a sense of danger, it would not have gone this smoothly.
However, the second son did not admit to possession for profit (buying or selling) and refused to acknowledge any facts about the transfer or receipt with X. So, I devised a plan. On the first day of the interrogation after the detention, I silently placed X’s photo and the large zip-lock bag of methamphetamine seized from X on a steel desk. I wanted him to realize that the authorities know everything.
As a result, the second son began to disclose the entire details of the transaction with X. However, he stubbornly denied the involvement of the gang leader, insisting, “I did the transaction all by myself.”
At the same time, when I informed X that the second son had started to provide testimony, X also began to disclose the outline of the transaction, but he too denied the involvement of the gang leader.
I prepared a statement that did not touch on the involvement of the gang leader and first solidified the charges of transfer and receipt against X and the second son. Although the two did not admit to the charges, it was confirmed during surveillance that the gang leader was present at the transaction scene and was clearly leading the operation. In discussions with the prosecuting attorney, we reached the conclusion that the gang leader’s involvement was undeniable.
Thus, we decided to request an arrest warrant for the gang leader from the court and to raid the gang office. With the support of additional members from the second division, we assembled a total of 20 personnel and stormed the A group’s office.
During the raid, I felt a sense of danger to my life.
During the search, the gang leader suddenly went up to the second floor of the office. I hurried to follow, but not a single officer came with me. I was terrified.
In such cases, it’s not uncommon for gang members to lash out in anger and attack. A moment of carelessness can be fatal. I understood just how dangerous the situation was, but I also knew that some officers tend to avoid getting close to gang members because of that very danger. As a result, I had no choice but to confront a very difficult situation alone.
As soon as I followed the gang leader up to the second floor, a replica sword came into view. If the leader had stabbed me in the stomach with that sword, it would have been the end for me. Fortunately, he was just going upstairs to retrieve some personal belongings, and nothing happened. However, the thought of what could have happened sent chills down my spine. Tragedies can occur unexpectedly.
“Brother, shall we do it?”
When we arrested the boss based on the fact that he conspired with his younger brother to transfer meth to X, he lashed out at me, saying, “You’re playing dirty.” He seemed to believe we had fabricated false statements.
Then, the younger brother glared at me and whispered, “Brother, shall we do it?”
Seeing the younger brother remain calm and expressionless, I braced myself, thinking, “This guy might stab me.” However, the boss didn’t let his brother attack during the search, remaining silent instead. I’ll never forget that tense atmosphere.
Afterward, we managed to get the boss to provide a statement that aligned with his younger brother’s testimony, and the case reached a tentative conclusion.
