Hyogo police refer first case under Japan's new 'money-transfer job' offence
In short
Hyogo prefectural police sent papers to prosecutors on Oct. 5 against a 29-year-old part-time worker in Kobe's Chuo ward, alleging she repeatedly moved crime proceeds between accounts for a fee. Police said it was the first nationwide crackdown on such transfers carried out "as a business", a charge newly penalised by this year's amendment to the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds. She allegedly transferred about 1.76 million yen to 32 accounts in 56 transactions in July and received roughly 30,000 yen in return.
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Hyogo prefectural police's Ikuta station sent papers to prosecutors on Oct. 5 against a 29-year-old part-time worker living in Kobe's Chuo ward, alleging she repeatedly transferred crime proceeds from her own account to designated accounts for a fee, in violation of the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds. Mainichi Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun and Nikkei all reported that the referral was the first nationwide crackdown on such transfers carried out "as a business", a charge created by this year's amendment to the law. Police suspect she was involved in money laundering, according to the reports. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
According to the reports, she is suspected of transferring about 1.76 million yen that had been paid into accounts in her name to 32 designated accounts in 56 transactions. Sankei Shimbun reported that the money arrived in two accounts in her name in 49 transactions between July 12 and 16. She received a reward of 31,000 yen, Mainichi Shimbun reported, while Nikkei put the sum at about 30,000 yen. Police believe the funds were proceeds from special fraud and part of a criminal organisation's money laundering, according to Mainichi Shimbun and Nikkei. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The documents describe how she was recruited. Mainichi Shimbun said she found an advertisement on social media and applied for the transfer job; Sankei Shimbun said she saw an advertisement on Instagram offering "a job you can earn from in a short time"; Nikkei said she contacted a social media account advertising short-time earnings and was told the work involved transferring salaries. Sankei Shimbun reported that she received instructions via the LINE messaging app from a person whose name is unknown. Sankei Shimbun also reported that she admitted the allegation. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The case surfaced after her account was frozen. Mainichi Shimbun reported that she consulted prefectural police after the freeze, while Sankei Shimbun and Nikkei said the bank advised her to talk to police. Mainichi Shimbun quoted her as saying she would have kept transferring money had the account not been blocked. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Background on the offence itself is reported differently. Mainichi Shimbun said penalties for reward-based transfers of crime proceeds were newly introduced by the law's amendment in June this year, while Sankei Shimbun said the penalties were created by the July amendment; the documents do not resolve which account is correct. What the outlets agree on is that the "as a business" provision, covering repeated transfers, had not previously been used in a nationwide crackdown. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The referral is the first known test of new penalties aimed at so-called money-transfer jobs, which police suspect are used to launder proceeds from special fraud. If prosecutors pursue the case, it would signal that people who rent out their own accounts for a fee can be charged as repeat offenders rather than as individual suspects. The documents do not say whether other participants in the scheme are under investigation.
Key facts
- Hyogo prefectural police's Ikuta station sent papers to prosecutors on Oct. 5 against a 29-year-old part-time worker living in Kobe's Chuo ward on suspicion of violating the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds, specifically transferring crime proceeds as a business. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- All three outlets reported that the referral was the first nationwide crackdown on repeated "as a business" transfers, for which penalties were newly created by this year's amendment to the law. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- She is suspected of transferring about 1.76 million yen sent into her accounts to 32 designated accounts in 56 transactions in July. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Sankei Shimbun reported that the money arrived in two accounts in her name in 49 transactions between July 12 and 16. [ 3 ]
- She received a reward of 31,000 yen, according to Mainichi Shimbun, while Nikkei reported the sum as about 30,000 yen. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Police believe the transferred money was proceeds from special fraud and part of money laundering by a criminal organisation. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Sankei Shimbun reported that she admitted the allegation. [ 3 ]
- The case came to light after her bank account was frozen and she was advised to consult police, according to the reports. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Hyogo prefectural police sent papers to prosecutors on Oct. 5 against a 29-year-old part-time worker in Kobe's Chuo ward over the transfer of crime proceeds as a business. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The referral was the first nationwide crackdown on repeated transfers carried out "as a business", a charge introduced by this year's amendment to the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- She is suspected of transferring about 1.76 million yen to 32 designated accounts in 56 transactions in July. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- She received a reward of roughly 30,000 yen for the transfers. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Police suspect the money was proceeds of special fraud and part of money laundering by a criminal organisation. [ 2 , 4 ]
- The case surfaced after her account was frozen and she was advised to consult police. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- When the amendment creating the penalty took effect. Mainichi Shimbun says penalties were newly created by the law's amendment in June this year, while Sankei Shimbun says the penalties were created by the July amendment. The documents do not resolve the difference.
- The identity of the person who instructed her. Sankei Shimbun and Nikkei report that the person she dealt with via LINE was of unknown name, and no documents say whether anyone else is under investigation.
- The exact amount of the reward. Mainichi Shimbun reports 31,000 yen while Nikkei reports about 30,000 yen; the documents do not explain the difference.
- Whether she will be charged. The documents say police sent papers to prosecutors; no document states a decision by prosecutors.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Mainichi Shimbun reports that Hyogo police sent the woman's case to prosecutors, calling it the first nationwide crackdown on a "money-transfer job". [ 2 ]
- Sankei Shimbun reports the referral and that she admitted the charge, adding details of the July 12–16 transfers. [ 3 ]
- Nikkei reports the referral, citing the police, and says police are investigating suspected money laundering. [ 4 ]