Now-former gangsters promise to stop raising hell.

Ordinarily, if two or three dozen gang members are all in a police station at the same time, there’s been some sort of major bust or incident that resulted in them all getting swept up by the cops. On Sunday, though, around 30 members of the Lucifers street gang all walked into the Atsuta Ward police station in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, and they did so of their own free will.

They weren’t there for questioning or to bail anybody out, either. Instead, they were at the police station to hold a ceremony officially disbanding the gang.

The organization was founded in the mid-1990s, and operated in Atsuta Ward. Over the years, their numbers grew to approximately 500 members, and despite making numerous arrests for assault, theft, and other crimes, the police were unable to completely stamp them out. Law enforcement has stepped up their efforts in the past year, though, with arrests of 25 Lucifers since May of 2024, including that of the gang’s 47-year-old leader, who’s currently on trial for assault charges after being picked up in December. That same month, the gang’s leader sent a written notice to the Aichi Prefectural Police’s Atsuta branch, announcing the Lucifers’ intent to disband.

As the dissolution ceremony, attended by member ranging in ages from their teens to their 50s, Lucifers’ final members vowed that they “Will never again cause trouble or distress” and also pledged not to reestablish the organization. Atsuta Precinct chief Masaki Suzuki expressed his hope for them to follow through on those promises, telling the assembled group “I want you to devote yourself to your individual work and studies,” and those in attendance expressed their desire to do so as well. “I apologize for causing trouble for those around me. From now on, I will work hard at my construction job and try to redeem myself.” said one 19-year-old now-former Lucifer. Another 15-year-old added “I’ve drifted away from my wholesome friends. I’m going to turn over a new leaf and keep studying at school and working at my part-time job,” so hopefully this turns out to be a case of life imitating the art of NES classic River City Ransom where gang members can return to class and become honor students.

Source: Chunichi Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun
Top image: Pakutaso
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