Even Chairman’s Arrest Fails to Shake Illegal Scout Ring with Police Leak Ties

Are there still informants inside the police!?

On that day, in Courtroom 412 of the Tokyo District Court, the defendant’s seat was occupied by Daisuke Jinbo (44), a former assistant inspector of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s Organized Crime Control Division.

Despite being a core member of the task force investigating “Natural,” Japan’s largest and most notorious illegal scouting group, Jinbo was arrested and indicted for violating the Local Public Service Act for leaking investigative information—such as surveillance camera footage monitoring the movements of top executives and details about camera locations.

At his first trial in February, he appeared exhausted, with overgrown hair from detention and dressed in sweats. However, at the March 25 hearing following his release on bail, he appeared in a gray suit with a burgundy tie, his hair neatly trimmed.

Taking into account that he had already been dismissed from his position and faced social consequences, he was sentenced to one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years (the prosecution had sought the same term). After the sentence was delivered, Jinbo repeatedly glanced nervously toward the gallery, as if searching for someone. Was it a colleague from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police he had worked with, or someone connected to Natural?

During his questioning the week before sentencing, Jinbo made extremely significant statements. In exchanges with the prosecutor, he said things like, “Other investigators were also leaking information,” and “Regarding information leaked by another staff member, I was asked by the Natural side, ‘Is this correct?’”

Since March last year, FRIDAY has reported in detail four times on the realities of Natural, and in those reports had already pointed out suspicions that officers other than Jinbo had been compromised. Active members of Natural also gave testimony to the writer supporting this.

“Not only the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, but major police authorities across the country have multiple channels. There are still plenty of informants, so losing just one won’t have much impact. We’re still able to obtain investigative information even now.”

Police authorities are aware of these suspicions, and internal investigations were quietly conducted, including by regional police. However, no significant results were achieved, and it appears likely the matter will fade away as is. A senior police official spoke in a hushed tone:

“I don’t believe Jinbo was the only informant. But without solid testimony or evidence, building a case would cause further damage within the organization. It would also raise questions about the responsibility of us senior officials. For those who are suspicious, the best we can do is handle things carefully—such as removing them from their positions during personnel reshuffles.”

Embarrassed by Jinbo’s arrest, the police launched a public investigation and, led by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, carried out an all-out top-level operation. On January 26, they arrested the group’s chairman, Hiroaki Obata (41), also known as “Kiyama,” on suspicion of violating Tokyo’s anti-boryokudan ordinance. However, interrogations have been difficult.

“The initial charge was that he paid protection money to a yakuza group in exchange for allowing scouting activities. Since then, he has been repeatedly re-arrested on charges of violating the Employment Security Act for referring multiple women to adult entertainment establishments. However, as he has remained largely silent during questioning, we are still far from uncovering the full picture,” said an investigative source.

Shocking testimony from a former assistant inspector after his conviction

There are multiple layers of barriers between low-level scouts and top executives, and some point out that it would be difficult to sustain a case in court when trying to charge the chairman as a co-conspirator. Authorities are also considering building a case under the Organized Crime Punishment Act for concealing criminal proceeds, but members of Natural use a highly secretive underground app they developed themselves, leaving very little physical evidence.

Even another active member close to the core of the organization showed no sense of crisis or urgency.

“When news broke of the chairman’s arrest, some younger members left out of fear of a crackdown. Compared to the peak of 2,000 members, we may have lost around 200 to 300, but there’s been no talk at all of disbanding the organization. We still have plenty of funds.”

According to this member, the organization is currently being run collectively by long-standing executives, centered around the chairman’s twin brother, and the chairman’s intentions are still being conveyed through lawyers. There are even moves to rebuild the organization’s dedicated app now that it has been exposed to the police, and they are reportedly recruiting IT personnel for that purpose.

Some contracted adult entertainment establishments have cut ties with Natural, which has slightly reduced the income of scouts on the ground. However, payments have not been delayed, and salaries were still paid in cash as usual last month.

Jinbo, the former assistant inspector who received a suspended sentence, refused to reveal in court who he had leaked information to, citing fear of retaliation. However, he reportedly sent a message to an acquaintance in law enforcement saying, “I’ll be fine going forward—there are people who will take care of me.”

There is also information that Natural offered to provide substantial funds under the pretext of covering legal fees. “There is a risk he could be drawn back in again. For the time being, we will have to monitor his movements and, if necessary, place him under surveillance,” said an investigative source.

Even after losing its head in the chairman, Natural continues to move in the shadows with an unsettling, unfathomable presence.

(Parts of the text omit honorifics.)

From “FRIDAY”, April 17–24, 2026 combined issue

Nihonbashi Group*
A new type of reporting and intelligence team composed of individuals from media, bureaucracy, and political backgrounds. Their latest book, Predation: “The Dark Side of the Tokuryū-Type Criminal Group ‘Natural’ That Turns Desire into Money” (Kodansha), has generated major buzz, going into reprint within a month of release.