Thai police have arrested a retired Japanese crime boss who was on the run for 15 years, after his elaborate tattoos went viral on Facebook. A missing little finger, which reflects a tradition by yakuza members of slicing off a fingertip in atonement for an offence, also provided a clue to his true identity. Shirai was arrested during a shopping trip on Wednesday, in the central market town of Lopburi, north of Bangkok. The mafia-like Yakuza gangs first operated in the 17th century, stemming from street merchants and gamblers. He was arrested for entering Thailand illegally without a passport or visa and will now be arrested to face prosecution in his homeland.

Source: Punch January 11, 2018 19:52 UTC