Osaka Prefectural Police headquarters. (Mainichi)
OSAKA — Police have arrested five individuals and referred eight others to prosecutors for an alleged scheme to lend legitimate haulage firms’ names to individuals running an unauthorized truck business to acquire the necessary “green” license plates for the latter’s vehicles.
Yuji Murakami, 56, president of a haulage company in Kishiwada, Osaka Prefecture, and four others were arrested, while eight more, including a driver operating a private transport business using Murakami’s company’s name, were referred to prosecutors. Three corporations, including Murakami’s firm, were also referred to prosecutors. The 13 individuals face charges of violating the Motor Truck Transportation Business Act and other offenses.
According to Osaka Prefectural Police’s Traffic Investigation Division, a “green number” license plate, necessary for haulage businesses, requires ownership of at least five business-use vehicles and a designated operations manager among other conditions. Murakami and his associates allegedly reported the unauthorized private businesses’ vehicles as their own to the transport bureau, securing the green plates and allowing the private businesses to use them. Murakami’s firm received 20,000 yen (approx. $135) monthly for lending its name.
A business operator who borrowed the company name reportedly told investigators, “I wanted the green license plate because it was necessary to appear credible to get more profitable jobs.” The driver and others reportedly generated sales of around 500 million yen (approx. $3.37 million) from March 2021 by transporting sand, earth and other materials at construction sites for World Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai and other projects.
The 13 individuals are accused of illegally attaching green number plates to vehicles of the unauthorized businesses between January and September 2024, earning some 5 million yen (roughly $33,800).
(Japanese original by Haruno Kosaka, Osaka City News Department)
AloJapan.com