Penal Code Offenders in Japan Rise for 1st Time in 19 Years

Tokyo, Dec. 20 (Jiji Press)--Japanese police took action against 183,269 people for Penal Code violations in 2023, marking an 8.2 pct rise from the previous year in the first growth in 19 years, a Justice Ministry white paper showed Friday.

The increase was affected to a certain extent by a recovery in the flows of people from the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry said.

The annual white paper on crime mentioned for the first time “yami baito,” or shady part-time jobs that promise good pay.

People becoming involved in serious crimes by applying to such jobs without giving much thought has become a social issue, it said.

The number of cybercrime cases edged up 0.9 pct to a record high of 12,479, while that of special fraud cases climbed 8.6 pct to 7,212.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]