A yakuza member was shot three times in the chest and abdomen, in an incident believed to be gang-related.

A yakuza member. Illustration photo: amazonaws

Okayama prefectural police in Japan said that Tadashi Takagi, 55, of the Ikeda-gumi branch of the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi gang, was found dead on the morning of May 31.

He was found lying face down in the parking lot of the apartment building where he lived with his family. Takagi had been shot in the chest and abdomen. He was taken to a hospital but was later pronounced dead, according to the Japan Times.

Local residents reported hearing three gunshots. A passerby called an ambulance. The male suspect is believed to have fled on a motorbike. Police did not find a gun at the scene.

Police believe the incident is linked to an ongoing power struggle between two yakuza organisations. Japan's largest yakuza crime syndicate, the Yamaguchi-gumi, was disbanded in August last year, with thousands of its members splitting off to form a new group, the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi.

The Ikeda-gumi has recently been linked to the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi and is being closely monitored by the police. The Ikeda-gumi is headquartered in Okayama's Kita Ward, where Takagi lives.

This is the first fatal shooting since the Yamaguchi-gumi and Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi were confirmed to be in a gang war in March, according to the National Police Agency.

According to VNE