ONOJO, Fukuoka -- A gun found in possession of a suspected yakuza hitman is highly likely to have been the same weapon used in the fatal shooting of a hospital patient apparently mistaken for a gangster earlier this month, Fukuoka and Saga prefectural police forces said Monday.

One of two guns found on Fumio Imada is believed to have been the weapon used in the shooting of a man in a hospital in Takeo, Saga Prefecture, on Nov. 8.

The man occupied a room where a yakuza member had previously stayed and is believed to have been gunned down mistakenly on the assumption that he was the gangster.

Imada, a 61-year-old gang boss who is suspected of involvement in the hospital killing, was arrested on a gun charge in Onojo, Fukuoka Prefecture, on Sunday, but denies having taken part in the Saga shooting.

"I got the gun from a certain someone," Imada told the police.

Police said they stopped the driver of a Toyota Crown in Onojo on Sunday morning because the driver had acted suspiciously, doing a U-turn when a patrol car came into view.

When officers tried to question the man and woman in the car, Imada fired a shot into the air. Officers arrested him immediately for breaking the Firearms and Swords Control Law.

Imada was in possession of two hand guns with more than 20 rounds of two different types of bullets, police said.

Saga Prefectural Police have discovered that the hospital shooting was carried out using a .38 caliber revolver. Police are examining the weapons seized from Imada in the belief that one of them was used in the Saga shooting.

Saga police said that a man believed to be Imada was spotted with a woman traveling around supermarkets and hotels in and around Takeo around the time of the hospital shooting. Police have taken out a warrant for the arrest of the woman on a charge of murder.

Fukuoka Prefectural Police believe the woman to be 44-year-old Toshiko Torii, who has been arrested in Fukuoka for breaking the Stimulants Control Law.

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Write comment

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (Registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment