Sunday, February 18, 2007

Record number of wiretaps in 2006

Japan - Police in 2006 used a record-breaking number of authorized wiretaps to arrest 27 people nationwide in nine drug cases, Justice Minister Jinen Nagase told a Cabinet meeting Friday.

Compared with only five wiretaps conducted in 2005, the sharp rise "indicates authorized wiretapping seems to be taking hold as a means of criminal investigations," a Justice Ministry official said. (more)