Japan arrests six over alleged laundering tied to ¥4.4 million transfer
Japanese police have arrested six people over an alleged scheme to route money from social-media investment scams through a company bank account and convert it into cryptocurrency. Investigators are examining about ¥91 million ($580, 000) in transfers, but have not established that the full amount came from crime or passed through the company.
- The arrests concern a suspected ¥4.4 million ($28, 000) transfer on February 16, 2024.
- Jiji Press reported that the suspected funds may be linked to around 30 victims in 15 prefectures.
- The exact crypto amounts, services and transfer routes have not been disclosed.
What police allege
The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the National Police Agency’s Special Cybercrime Investigation Department. The six people are suspected of concealing criminal proceeds under Japan’s Organized Crime Punishment Act.
Police allege that money linked to social-media investment fraud was deposited into the corporate bank account of Weather, a temporary staffing company based in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture. The funds were allegedly converted into cryptocurrency through channels outside Japan, then sent to the fraud organization through intermediaries.
The allegations cite a ¥4.4 million deposit into Weather’s account on February 16, 2024. Separately, investigators are examining approximately ¥91 million in transfers from February and March that year. Jiji Press reported that the suspected funds may be connected to around 30 victims in 15 prefectures. Reports do not clarify whether every transfer in the larger amount passed through Weather’s account.
The ¥91 million figure is an investigative estimate, not a court-established total of stolen money. Authorities have not confirmed that the full amount came from crime or was converted into cryptocurrency.
Who has been identified?
Those arrested include Keisuke Tanaka, 36, Weather’s president, and Yusuke Shibuya, 45, a Tokyo resident whose occupation has not been disclosed. FNN described Tanaka as an alleged informal cryptocurrency exchange operator. Shibuya allegedly helped return digital assets to the fraud organization, sometimes on the same day as the corresponding bank transfer.
Japanese media reports have named Bitcoin and USDT among the assets allegedly involved. USDT, issued by Tether, is a stablecoin designed to track the U.S. dollar. The reports do not say how much Bitcoin or USDT moved, identify the services used, or provide wallet addresses or transaction records. They also do not establish whether the funds passed through licensed Japanese exchanges or whether investigators recovered any assets.
Investigators suspect Weather received about 1% of the amount converted as compensation. If that rate applied to the full ¥91 million under investigation, the payment would be roughly ¥910, 000. That figure is a calculation based on the alleged rate, not confirmation of what Weather or anyone else received.
What is known and unknown about the crypto transfers
Some Japanese reports use the term aitaiya for an intermediary who arranges direct exchanges between money and cryptocurrency. Intermediaries can add steps between a victim’s bank transfer and the eventual recipient. But available reporting provides no transaction-level evidence showing exactly how the suspected transfers were handled.
The suspects’ responses to the allegations have not been made public. Their arrests do not establish guilt, and available reporting does not confirm what charges prosecutors may pursue.
The case comes amid major losses from social-media investment fraud in Japan. The National Police Agency recorded 9, 523 such cases in 2025, with reported losses of approximately ¥128.8 billion. Those figures cover social-media investment fraud overall. They do not show how much involved cryptocurrency or establish a connection to the Weather investigation. Bitcoin and USDT use amid sanctions concerns is a separate issue from the allegations in this case.
Key questions and answers
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What transfer is cited in the allegations?
Police cite a suspected ¥4.4 million deposit into Weather’s corporate account on February 16, 2024.
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How much money is under investigation?
Investigators are examining approximately ¥91 million in transfers from February and March 2024. The full amount has not been confirmed as criminal proceeds or as money routed through Weather.
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Which cryptocurrencies were involved?
Some Japanese media reports mention Bitcoin and USDT, but the amounts, wallets, services and exact routes remain undisclosed.
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Were any funds recovered?
Available reporting does not say whether investigators recovered money or seized cryptocurrency.
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Have the suspects been found guilty?
No. They have been arrested on suspicion of concealing criminal proceeds, but an arrest is not a finding of guilt.
