japans guandong army desperately needed revenue to establish the new state, in addition to requiring useful intelligence from on-the-ground japanese sources with experience in dealing with manchuria. the only japanese in control of these previous commodities of intelligence and drugs were the hustlers and traffickers, who were now joined by yakuza groups. the gangsters got cushy, legit jobs as military advisers, or pencil-pushers in the official government opium monopoly corporation (!!!) everyone called them sensei. bureaucrats helped them set up legitimate businesses, and launder their drug money. also  as government advisers, these hustlers were immune to customs searches. military leaders such as amakasu masahiko and itagaki seishirou teamed up with yakuza syndicates operating in manchukuo such as the kokusuikai and seigidan. the number of ronin in manchuria is now over 30,000 (including yakuza). the kenpeitai were in charge of coordinating the local yakuza, making amakasu (leader of the kenpeitai) a big guy in the opium game. the kempeitai were like the craziest guys in the whole thing  the main link between official government and yakuza. a sort of official gang: they could kill anyone, steal anything. they were in charge of disarming chinese police, confiscating property, and taking over chinese banks. here, the inside information that the yakuza possessed came in handy. the yaks  who knew because local chinese gangsters told them- told the kenpeitai this family looks poor but theyre rich, and their gold is hidden here. or that family is ripe for extortion, and the kenpeitai would move in and get the loot, afterwards sharing some with the gangsters. also, the yaks showed the more independent kenpeitai how to make extra money setting up their own prostitution and drug rings.
Brazil