13 accused of transport without a license at the scene of the Osaka exhibition, other construction sites

OSAKA – Police arrested five people and sent another eight to the prosecutors for an alleged scheme to provide the names of legitimate transport companies to people who run an unauthorized truck business to acquire the “green” plates necessary for vehicles of the latter.

Yuji Murakami, 56, president of a transport company in Kishiwada, Prefecture of Osaka and four others were arrested, while eight more, including a driver who operated a private transport business under the name of the Murakami company, were sent to prosecutors. Three corporations, including Murakami’s firm, were also referred to prosecutors. The 13 people face positions to violate the Law of Motor Transportation Business and other crimes.

According to the Osaka Prefecture Investigation Research Division, a “green number” plate, necessary for transport companies, requires the property of at least five commercial use vehicles and a designated operations manager, among other conditions. Murakami and their associates allegedly reported that vehicles of unauthorized private companies as their own for the transport office, ensuring green plates and allowing private companies to use them. The Murakami firm received 20,000 yen (approximately $ 135) monthly for lending its name.

According to the reports, a commercial operator who borrowed the company’s name told researchers: “I wanted the green plate because it was necessary to seem credible to obtain more profitable jobs.” According to reports, the driver and others generated sales of around 500 million yen (approximately $ 3.37 million) since March 2021 transporting sand, land and other materials in construction sites for World Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai and other projects.

The 13 people are accused of illegally attaching the green numbers plates to the vehicles of the unauthorized companies between January and September 2024, winning about 5 million yen (approximately $ 33,800).

(Japanese Japanese from Haruno Kosaka, News Department of the city of Osaka)