Tattoos lead Thai police to arrest Japanese crime boss

BANGKOK (AP) - Thai police have arrested a 72-year-old Japanese fugitive who was recognized when his full-body tattoos were circulated online.

A police statement says Shigeharu Shirai was arrested Wednesday in a province north of Bangkok, where he has been hiding for over 10 years to evade murder charges in Japan in connection with the death of a rival gang member.

His arrest apparently came after photos of him sitting around a checkers table were posted on Facebook in August last year by a Thai who was impressed by the man's tattoos. The post was shared over 10,000 times when some users identified the former crime boss.

Police say Japanese associates paid visits to Shirai two to three times a year, each time bearing cash gifts at around 10,000 baht ($312).