Japan is preparing to take a major step against its increasingly sophisticated “tokuryu” anonymous and fluid criminal groups, with an expert panel backing a controversial new investigative method that could allow police to remotely analyze communications on devices believed to be used by criminal networks.
The National Police Agency (NPA) panel said Wednesday that existing investigative methods are often insufficient when criminals rely on highly confidential or encrypted messaging applications. Remote analysis, it argued, could help investigators uncover planned crimes before they cause further harm.
Under the proposed system, police would first identify a smartphone or other communication terminal believed to be connected to a tokuryu operation. Investigators would then seek a court warrant before remotely analyzing the device, according to the panel’s recommendations.
The proposal is especially significant because the method could potentially allow investigators to obtain information without knowing the physical location of the device and without alerting the suspects that their communications are being examined.
The panel has not publicly explained exactly how remote access would be achieved. The Japan Times reported that the description of an undetected method capable of accessing a device remotely suggests the possible use of malware or other techniques to penetrate terminals.
Why tokuryu groups are becoming a major threat
Unlike traditional organized crime syndicates with identifiable hierarchies, tokuryu groups are deliberately anonymous and fluid. They can form quickly, recruit people through social media or job-search platforms, carry out crimes and then dissolve or reorganize.
Japan’s National Police Agency has identified their involvement in crimes including fraud, robberies, theft and other offenses. The groups can also bring together people with different criminal backgrounds for individual operations.
The scale of the problem is growing even as Japan’s traditional yakuza organizations continue to shrink. According to data based on the NPA’s 2025 figures, 6,679 people suspected of being connected to tokuryu groups were arrested in 2025, an increase of 1,476 from the previous year.
Separately, Japanese police took action against 12,178 people in 2025 over crimes linked to tokuryu groups, according to an NPA report cited by The Japan Times.
Privacy concerns could become the biggest battle
The proposed technology, however, raises a fundamental constitutional question.
Japan’s Constitution protects the secrecy of communications, meaning any system capable of remotely accessing private communications could face intense scrutiny over privacy and government surveillance.
The expert panel concluded that remote analysis can be constitutionally permissible, but only with appropriate safeguards. It called for clear rules, advance judicial review and strict limitations on what police can access.
According to the proposal, investigators would focus only on information relevant to suspected criminal activity. Unrelated information would be deleted immediately, while the cases would be reported to the National Public Safety Commission for oversight.
Japanese media reports also indicate that the proposed framework could require notification to affected individuals after the investigation ends or authorities determine that further analysis is no longer necessary.
Japan wants the system introduced soon
The NPA is aiming to move forward quickly, with the panel expected to finalize its recommendations as early as this month.
The move reflects a broader shift in Japanese law enforcement: as traditional crime organizations lose members, authorities are increasingly confronting decentralized criminal networks that recruit online, communicate through encrypted platforms and outsource individual crimes to anonymous participants.
That creates a difficult challenge for police. Investigators need new tools to detect serious crimes before they happen, but those same tools could give authorities unprecedented access to private digital communications.
Japan is therefore confronting two threats at once: the growing sophistication of tokuryu crime—and the possibility that the fight against it could reshape the country’s rules on digital privacy and police surveillance.
WWC ONE MEDIA MJE
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