Police busted a Japanese yakuza-run call centre gang operating in Thailand.

Immigration police raided two luxury villas in the Diamond Villa housing estate said to be the base of operations for the alleged scammers in lawless Pattaya City on December 17.

They arrested the two ringleaders Ukai Takayuki, 42, and Hatakana Hajime, 40, as well as three other Japanese nationals Kenjiro Kimura, 37, Takahiro Inoue, 34, and Katsuhito Yamaguchi, 28, who were hired to call targets in Japan.

Cops also seized 79 phones and tablets, scripts, recorded conversations, and a list of victims and their data.

Police Major General Panumat Boonyalak, Acting Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, said the raids were launched following a complaint from the Japanese Embassy.

He said: 'We believe these five foreigners pose a potential danger to society, so we have revoked their visas and detained them, pending further legal action.'

The group reportedly tricked Japanese pensioners by claiming they would refund past medical expenses worth millions of yen. But to access the money, the elderly victims were duped into wiring 500,000 JPY (2,600 GBP) to the scam group.

The call centre gang was said to have caused around 24 million yen (123,000 GBP) in damages per day.

Investigations found that one of the leaders is linked to the notorious Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's largest yakuza organisation and one of the largest criminal groups in the world. 

Police said investigations were ongoing.

In April, a Japanese yakuza gangster was found chopped up in a pond in Bangkok.

Ryousuke Kabashima, 47, was allegedly murdered with a bullet to the brain by two fellow Japanese nationals Hiroto Suzuki, 33, and Takuya Kato, 50, in a factory on the outskirts of Bangkok.

He was reportedly dismembered and a Thai driver Kritsakorn Jaipitak, 30, hired by the Japanese men was said to have scattered the body parts around Nonthaburi province. His remains were found after locals found a tattooed severed hand in the pond.

The yakuza is a powerful, organised crime syndicate originating in Japan, involved in activities like gambling, drug trafficking, and protection rackets. Despite their criminal reputation, they maintain a complex relationship with Japanese society, often being known for their strict codes of conduct, loyalty, and sometimes even involvement in community service and disaster relief efforts.

(1 GBP = 196.23 JPY)