FUKUOKA (TR) – Fukuoka Prefectural Police on Tuesday re-arrested four individuals, including the alleged leader of a Cambodia-based telephone fraud ring, for allegedly swindling cash from victims by posing as police officers, reports Kyodo News (Oct. 20).
Takumi Oi, a 31-year-old unemployed man of no fixed address, is suspected of heading the syndicate’s kakeko group (“callers”) — the operatives tasked with making the deceptive phone calls from overseas.
Also re-arrested on were three alleged accomplices: Sho Okada, 28, Riho Oi, 28, and Yu Sakuji, 31. All three are unemployed and of no fixed address.
The suspects are accused of conspiring with other ring members between December 2025 and January 2026. According to the allegations, the callers masqueraded as police officers to trick three victims in their 20s and 30s into handing over cash.
The syndicate’s overseas operations are believed to be vast. Police revealed that 38 criminal complaints spanning 16 prefectures feature the exact same aliases and deceptive tactics utilized by Oi’s group.
Authorities estimate the total financial damages linked to the Cambodia-based ring to be a staggering 150 million yen. Police are continuing their investigation into the broader scope of the organization’s crimes.