JAPAN

Tackling organized crime in Southeast Asia

Japan sits on a maritime and air crossroads between Asia, the South Pacific and the Americas.

This geographic location and the fact that Japan is one of the world’s leading economies make the country potentially attractive to local, regional and global organized crime groups.

INTERPOL in Japan

The INTERPOL NCB in Tokyo serves as Japan’s global police liaison platform for criminal investigations, providing the National Police Agency (NPA) and national law enforcement agencies with a means of working at global level.

The NPA regularly takes part in global INTERPOL-led police operations which focus on regional organized crime.

National law enforcement

The Japanese NCB is part of the NPA. It sits structurally in the Organized Crime Department of the Criminal Affairs Bureau.

 The NPA supervises and controls the police activities of 47 Prefectural Police Departments, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

 The NPA is headed by a Commissioner General who is appointed by the National Public Safety Commission (NPSC) with the approval of the Prime Minister.

 The NPSC, composed of a Chairman who holds the rank of Minister of State and five other members, oversees and administers the NPA.