Police raid properties of Japanese killer cult

TOKYO, JAN 22: More than 100 Japanese police on Friday raided the Aleph cult, formerly Aum Supreme Truth, as the justice minister warned it was still a danger five years after gassing Tokyo8217;s subway.

8220;A total of 160 police raided the cult,8221; said an official in the security division of the Saitama prefectural police, north of Tokyo, which controlled the operation. Officers swooped on 12 sect properties in areas including Tokyo, on suspicion of infractions involving applications for a parking lot permit and a residency registration. The cult allegedly falsely claimed it had space for two cars when applying for a parking permit from police in Koshigaya, Saitama, last year, said a Saitama police officer, who declined to be named. Other disciples were suspected of submitting a false document with the local government in 1996 to register a male follower8217;s fictitious change of address.

Police have launched a string of such raids on suspicion of relatively minor crimes in past months as protests have mounted about the cult8217;s growing presence in local communities. Parliament passed legislation last month that could allow authorities to conduct raids and demand information and financial data from the sect without the need for a warrant. But police must first convince a legal panel of the need for such a crackdown, and the cult is fighting the move with claims that it has reformed and is no longer a danger.