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.
