Three former members of a Japanese doomsday cult, including an ex-police officer, were arrested on Wednesday over the shooting of Japan's police chief nine years ago.
The 1995 shooting of then National Police Agency chief Takaji Kunimatsu came just 10 days after the cult, the Aum Shinri Kyo (Supreme Truth Sect), carried out a gas attack on the Tokyo subway, killing 12 and making thousands sick.
Police had believed at the time that the cult was behind the shooting, in which Kunimatsu was badly wounded, in an attempt to disrupt investigation into the subway gassing.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police said they had arrested three former Aum members, including Toshiyuki Kosugi, 39, once a senior officer in their force, for attempted murder.
Kosugi had confessed in 1996 to shooting Kunimatsu but police felt the confession was unreliable and did not press charges due to lack of evidence.
Japanese media said Wednesday's arrests came as a result of recent further questioning of Kosugi in which police gained new information linking him and the other ex-members to the shooting.
Kyodo news agency said police believed that another former Aum member had carried out the shooting, in which Kunimatsu received three bullets to his abdomen.
Aum preached that the world was coming to an end and that followers must arm to prepare for calamities. Its former leader Shoko Asahara was sentenced to death in February for masterminding the fatal subway attack.
Aum changed its name in 2000 to Aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and says it is now harmless, but the Japanese authorities believe it is still a threat and keep its 1600 members under strict surveillance.