Executive Summary

Tokuryū* groups’ growth in numbers and complexity are fueling increased collaboration with traditional organized crime groups while creating a need for increased digital policing and transnational police cooperation. Meanwhile, the yakuza are threatened by more aggressive crackdowns and monitoring. They have resorted to collaboration with these news groups to diversify and synergize financial and operational abilities, and we assess that they are likely to continue to do so. Subsequently, the Japanese police, for their part, will likely need to introduce sweeping and strong cyber and digital policing methods to keep up with this new dynamic. Transnational cooperation between Asian nations will likely also be required to keep in check tokuryu operations. This will help tackle their multinational membership, and navigate the complexities of international prosecution. 

* Tokuryū gangs are a relatively new phenomenon which has revolutionized the Japanese and Asian underworld. They are recruiting and communicating via online, encrypted apps, using scams, international locations as bases, and fluidly disbanding and reemerging. They pose a significant threat in both lethal and financial crimes.