TOKYO: More than 100 Japanese police yesterday raided the Aleph cult, formerly Aum Supreme Truth, as the justice minister warned it was still a danger five years after gassing Tokyo's subway.

"A total of 160 police raided the cult," said an official in the security division of the Saitama prefectural police, north of Tokyo, which controlled the operation.

Officers swooped on 12 sect properties in areas including Tokyo, on suspicion of infractions involving applications for a parking lot permit and a residency registration.

Other disciples were suspected of submitting a false document with the local government in 1996 to register a male follower's fictitious change of address.

Police have launched a string of such raids on suspicion of relatively minor crimes in past months as protests have mounted about the cult's growing presence in local communities.

The cult is fighting the move. It claims it has reformed and is no longer a danger.

Just two days before the hearing by the legal panel Thursday, the cult issued a statement deposing its jailed guru Shoko Asahara as leader, changing the sect name to Aleph and vowing reforms, including a pledge to obey the law.

But Justice Minister Hideo Usui said yesterday that after reading reports of the reform, "I found the group is still dangerous and it continues to be closed-minded and deceptive."

Agencies via Xinhua
China Daily 2000/01/22