Tokyo police arrest bosozoku leader at Haneda on illegal passport charge

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Tuesday arrested the leader of the bosozoku motorcycle gang Dragon for the usage of an illegal passport after he was deported from China, reports TV Asahi (Jan. 7).

Officers took Masaru Takagi, 33, into custody at Haneda Airport after he allegedly used the name of an acquaintance and concealed a suspended prison sentence in applying for a new passport four years ago.

According to police, Takagi had been found guilty in an incident resulting in bodily harm in March of 2011. He then fled to Hong Kong after receiving the illegal passport.

In February of last year, Takagi was taken into custody by authorities in Shanghai on charges of overstaying a visa. He subsequently served a prison sentence.

In 2013, the National Police Agency began classifying bosozoku gangs as “pseudo-yakuza” groups to better reflect the true state of their activities.

Dragon is comprised of second- and third-generation returnees from China who came to Japan after the end of World War II.