Top brass of alleged criminal syndicate in Japan lived here

Group accused of laundering funds linked to scams and illegal gambling

- David Sun

The head of a syndicate in Japan accused of laundering some 70 billion yen (S$628.7 million) for criminals there had a home in Singapore and was appointed director of a software firm here, The Straits Times has found.

Sotaro Ishikawa, who fled Japan in February amid an investigation by the police, led the Rivaton Group.

The criminal syndicate is believed to comprise more than 40 people.

The 35-year-old lived in a condominium in Bukit Timah, and was registered as the director of a local software company, also named Rivaton, in March.

Checks by ST showed that a number of others in the syndicate were also appointed directors of companies in Singapore over the last two years.

Rivaton's second in command, Kosuke Yamada, was appointed director of local software company KO Enterprise Next in September 2023.

The 39-year-old, who goes by Yamada Kosuke here, also has a registered address in Singapore at the same condo as Ishikawa.

Both men told the Japanese authorities they were Singapore residents when they were arrested on July 9, after flying back to Japan from Dubai, reported Japanese news agency Jiji Press.

The third-ranking officer of the group - Takamasa Ikeda, 38 - was arrested on Sept 2 at Kansai International Airport after taking a flight from Singapore to Japan.

Ikeda has a registered address in Singapore at a landed property in Novena. He became the director of local advertising company Glosal in April.

According to the Osaka Prefectural Police, the group had systematically set up shell companies in Japan from 2021, and used the corporate accounts of these companies to launder criminal funds linked to scams and illegal gambling.

At least 4,000 accounts and 500 companies involved in the scheme have been uncovered by the Japanese authorities so far.

On May 21, the police arrested 12 people linked to the group in Toyama, Japan.