A record 3.69 million crimes were committed in Japan in 2002, according to a government report released Friday.
A white paper submitted by the Justice Ministry at a Cabinet meeting the same day, shows the number was boosted by increases in juvenile street crime, thefts and robbery, and crimes by people working in groups. The report was compiled by the ministry's Research and Training Institute.
The number of criminal offenses dealt with by police in 2002 rose 3.1 percent from the previous year, the report says. The number has grown for seven consecutive years.
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