Hiroshima police officer arrested for leaking personal data and demanding money
In short
Hiroshima Prefectural Police on October 8 arrested a 28-year-old senior officer of its expressway traffic police unit, Watanabe (渡辺優人), on suspicion of aggravated bribery and breaching the Local Public Service Act's confidentiality rules. He is suspected of leaking a person's name and address from a police terminal to an acquaintance and then demanding 100,000 yen as a reward. The acquaintance, a 29-year-old company employee, Tatsuya Maekawa (前川達也), was also arrested on suspicion of inciting the leak.
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Hiroshima Prefectural Police on October 8 arrested Watanabe (渡辺優人), 28, a senior officer of its expressway traffic police unit, on suspicion of aggravated bribery and violating the Local Public Service Act's confidentiality duty, Asahi Shimbun and Tokyo Shimbun reported. NHK also reported the arrest of the 28-year-old officer on the same suspicions. On the same day police arrested his acquaintance, company employee Tatsuya Maekawa (前川達也), 29, of Hiroshima city, on suspicion of inciting the breach of confidentiality. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
According to the police inspection office, as reported by Asahi Shimbun, Watanabe is suspected of using a police station's online terminal around December 29, 2023 to obtain a person's name, address and other personal details and passing them to the acquaintance. Tokyo Shimbun said the information concerned one person and that Watanabe is suspected of demanding a bribe of 100,000 yen as a reward between October 2024 and July 2025. Asahi Shimbun put the demand in 2024 to 2025. [ 2 , 4 ]
At the time, Watanabe worked in the traffic division of the Kaita police station and had been given access to the internal system, Asahi Shimbun reported. Maekawa is suspected of urging him to leak the personal details of someone involved in a money dispute with a person he knew. [ 2 ]
Nippon TV News, which first reported the arrest citing investigative sources, gave a somewhat different account: it said the leak took place last year, and that the acquaintance was himself in a money dispute with a woman, obtained her address from the officer and visited her, which led to trouble. It said police were questioning the two men. [ 1 ]
Police have not disclosed whether the two suspects admit the allegations, saying it would hinder the investigation. Shinji Akimoto (秋本慎二), the force's chief inspector, said in a statement that the case was deeply regrettable, apologised to the people of the prefecture and said the police would deal with it strictly after investigating the facts. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The case concerns misuse of personal information held in police systems by an officer with authorised access, and national outlets including NHK reported it. The prefectural police's chief inspector apologised to residents and said the force would deal with the matter strictly after investigating the facts.
Key facts
- Hiroshima Prefectural Police arrested a 28-year-old senior officer of its expressway traffic police unit on October 8. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The officer, Watanabe (渡辺優人), who lives in Fuchu town, Hiroshima Prefecture, is suspected of aggravated bribery and violating the Local Public Service Act's confidentiality duty. [ 2 , 4 ]
- He is suspected of using a police station's online terminal around December 2023 to obtain one person's name and address and leaking them to an acquaintance. [ 2 , 4 ]
- He is suspected of demanding 100,000 yen in cash as a reward between October 2024 and July 2025, according to Tokyo Shimbun. [ 2 , 4 ]
- The acquaintance, company employee Tatsuya Maekawa (前川達也), 29, of Hiroshima city, was arrested on suspicion of inciting the leak. [ 2 , 4 ]
- At the time, Watanabe worked in the traffic division of the Kaita police station and had access to the internal system. [ 2 ]
- Police have not disclosed whether the two men admit the allegations, citing the investigation. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- A 28-year-old senior officer of the Hiroshima Prefectural Police expressway traffic unit was arrested on suspicion of aggravated bribery and violating the Local Public Service Act. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- He is suspected of leaking personal information held by police to an acquaintance and demanding money in return. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The leaked information was obtained with a police station's online terminal around December 2023. [ 2 , 4 ]
- The amount demanded was 100,000 yen. [ 2 , 4 ]
- A 29-year-old acquaintance was arrested on suspicion of inciting the leak. [ 2 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- When the leak took place. Nippon TV News, citing investigative sources, said it happened last year, while Asahi Shimbun and Tokyo Shimbun give December 2023.
- Who was in the money dispute with the person whose details were leaked. Nippon TV News said the acquaintance himself was in a money dispute with a woman and visited her after getting her address, leading to trouble; Asahi Shimbun said the target was in a money dispute with someone the acquaintance knew.
- Whether the two suspects admit the allegations. Police have not disclosed this, citing the investigation.
- Whether any money was actually paid. The documents describe only a demand for 100,000 yen.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Nippon TV News reports, citing investigative sources, that a Hiroshima police officer in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of aggravated bribery. [ 1 ]
- Asahi Shimbun reports that Hiroshima Prefectural Police announced the arrests of the officer and his acquaintance. [ 2 ]
- NHK reports the arrest of the 28-year-old officer. [ 3 ]
- Tokyo Shimbun reports the arrests, naming the acquaintance as company employee Tatsuya Maekawa. [ 4 ]