Police on Friday searched the headquarters of used car dealer Bigmotor Co. in Tokyo on suspicion of property destruction, investigative sources said after roadside trees near its dealership outlets were found to have withered unnaturally.
Soil inspections at its stores carried out by local governments detected traces of herbicide, and police are investigating whether the company's headquarters were instructing the stores to carry out the damage, the sources said.
The search came amid speculation that the scandal-hit company was intentionally damaging trees near its stores so that the cars on display at its outlets were more visible to passers-by.
It is believed to be the first time that police have searched the headquarters of the used car dealership and repair chain, which is embroiled in a scandal over excessive repair fees and auto insurance fraud.
"It is true that (the headquarters) have been searched. We will fully cooperate with the investigation," a company official said.
Bigmotor came under fire after it was found to have charged excessive repair fees by intentionally damaging cars and making fraudulent insurance claims, leading to the resignation of its president.
The latest move came after police searched nine outlets in Tokyo and three outlets in neighboring Kanagawa Prefecture earlier this month.
In Kanagawa, the Kawasaki city government said last month that a senior Bigmotor official revealed during its investigation that an outlet in the city had removed nearby trees following the instructions of the headquarters.
Police investigations are also underway in multiple prefectures outside of the Tokyo metropolitan area, following reports of damage to trees in other municipalities.
