Tokyo police have arrested two men, including a 57-year-old company president in Tochigi Prefecture, on suspicion of violating the Road Transport Vehicle Act by passing vehicles through mandatory inspections without the required maintenance, investigative sources said. Police believe the two were involved in about 2,400 improper inspections.
The president was named as Katsuhiro Tezuka. Police did not say whether either man has admitted to the allegations.
Japan's vehicle inspection, known as shaken, is a periodic safety check that cars must pass to stay on the road. Inspections cover brakes, lights, steering and emissions, and owners are expected to complete any repairs the check identifies before a certificate is issued. Passing a car without those repairs means it keeps its registration while the faults remain.
Police suspect the two men ran the practice at volume, with roughly 2,400 vehicles handled improperly. The number, if borne out, would put the case among the larger inspection frauds in recent years.
The Metropolitan Police Department did not give details of how the inspections were arranged or where they took place. It said only that the arrests were made by November 5.