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Brothers held for burning two women alive

TOKYO: Japanese police have arrested a company president and his younger brother for allegedly burning to death two women alive in oil drums, a police spokesman said on Sunday.

Police arrested Akikazu Makita, 40, head of an auto parts sales company, on April 4, and his 37-year-old brother, Kouki, on April 3, on suspicion of murder, said the spokesman for the Aichi Prefectural Police Department.

Police have also arrested two other men in connection with the case.

The police spokesman said the brothers confessed to police that they burnt to death Yoko Fukaya, 64, and Katsuko Takahashi, 59, whom they abducted early on Tuesday in Nagoya in Aichi prefecture.

Police declined to comment on their motive, news reports said the two allegedly abducted the women after Makita tried to collect the money he lent to Fukaya's husband. "We rolled up the two women with an adhesive tape and put them in oil drums one by one," the 40-year-old Kakita was quoted by the spokesman as telling police officers. "We burnt them with gasoline for several hours while they were alive," he said.

On Saturday, police found what are believed to be part of the remains of the two women after conducting a search based on confessions by two men under arrest, Kyodo News said.ÑAFP