6 teens arrested over extortion of Y14 mil from 87-year-old man

TOKYO — Police said Friday they have arrested six teenagers on suspicion of getting a total of 14.3 million yen from an 87-year-old man in Tokyo by extortion on 97 occasions over a period of one year beginning in April last year, police said Friday.

Of the six aged 15 to 17 and arrested between June 30 and Sept 18, a 16-year-old unemployed girl from Machida was the mastermind of the group, police said. According to investigators, on one occasion on March 16, the six teenagers brandished a kitchen knife near the man at his home and said they would stab him unless he immediately handed over money, and they had him withdraw 1.4 million yen from a bank.