[/floatl]Yomiuri: Companies report big jump in extortionA National Police Agency-affiliated body has said local branches across the country were consulted on 1,207 occasions in 2006 by companies reporting they were victims of extortion, with many of these cases being gang-related, according to a new survey. The Tokyo-based National Center for the Elimination of Underworld Syndicates, said the latest figures are a record, and mark a fourfold jump from 1997. Of the cases, 356--more than five times that of a decade ago--involved those identifying themselves as gang members or members of right-wing organizations tied to gang syndicates. An official at the center believes the rise in cases owes much to a greater willingness by firms to report such incidents. "It appears that companies are standing up to unlawful demands and so more cases have surfaced," he said. "But this figure may still be just the tip of the iceberg"...Broken down by type of demand, 34 percent were made under the pretext of "consolation money" or "money to be made as an apology for being a nuisance," second only to the 46 percent recorded in the "miscellaneous" category...Officials at the center believe that the percentage of gang members making demands is actually higher, but that they are reluctant to identify themselves as such because unlawful demands by gang members are subject to stricter orders to desist under the Antigang Law...An official at the center said..."Gang organizations may step up their unlawful demands by targeting companies that are performing better in the current economic upturn"...more...
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