Tokyo, Feb 27 (Prensa Latina) A division of the mafia group Yamaguchi-gumi became the country''s third largest criminal organization, the NHK network informs today.
It is denominated the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi, which last summer separated from the yakuza, or Japanese mafia of greater extent.
The National Police Agency said that the newly created criminal group has about 6,000 members and only preceded by the Sumiyoshi-kai from Tokyo, 7,000, and the Yamaguchi-gumi, with about 14,000 members.
So far no clashes between these bands were recorded, since it is supposed that the distribution of territories took place.
Police officers began to take measures to prevent a violence escalation similar to the one that occurred in 1985, when another split took place and as a result there were more than 300 violent incidents.
The Yamaguchi-gumi gets its profits from extortion, gambling, the sex industry, smuggling of arms and drugs, real estate and construction operations, the stock market manipulation and the production of pornography on the Internet.
It is considered the most influential in Japan, because its members also operate in other countries, including the United States.