TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested three individuals for allegedly operating a highly lucrative underground gambling den disguised as a “cat cafe” and mahjong parlor in Sumida Ward, reports TV Asahi (May 11).
Toyotaka Yasue, the 51-year-old manager of the illegal pachi suro (pachinko slot) parlor named Mint, and two accomplices are accused of facilitating illegal gambling on November 9.
The covert operation was run out of a single room in a multi-tenant building near JR Kinshicho Station, where police found 48 pachi suro machines set up for customers.
According to police, Yasue and his associates displayed decoy signboards advertising it as a mahjong parlor and a cat cafe in a bid to evade law enforcement raids.
The underground parlor operated on a strict referral-only basis. Police estimate that since opening in 2015, the clandestine business has raked in approximately 800 million yen in revenue over the past decade.
Upon arrest, all three suspects chose to remain silent during police questioning.
Investigators are currently analyzing documents and materials seized during a raid on the property. Authorities are also probing the case with a view toward potential involvement by organized crime syndicates (yakuza) funneling the illicit profits.