A Japanese man, who confessed he was the fugitive linked to a series of terrorist bombings in Japan during the 1970s before he died last month, was confirmed the suspect.

The local media reported this on Tuesday.

Results from DNA tests run by Japanese law enforcement identified the dead man as the alleged bomber, Satoshi Kirishima, national news agency Kyodo reported, citing an investigative source.

Mr Kirishima, aged 70, disclosed his affiliation with the extremist group East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front shortly before succumbing to illness in hospital.

Suspecting Mr Kirishima’s involvement in four additional bombing incidents that occurred in 1975, police referred all five cases to prosecutors Tuesday.

This would be on alleged violation of the Explosives Control Act and suspicion of attempted murder, the report said.

DNA tests on the man and his relatives also corroborated their familial relationship.

Mr Kirishima had long been wanted on suspicion that he planted and detonated a homemade bomb in a building in Tokyo’s Ginza district on April 19, 1975.

He was placed on a nationwide wanted list the following month.

Under the false name Hiroshi Uchida, he had worked for approximately four decades at a construction company in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo.

He had evaded law enforcement for 49 years as a fugitive, prompting ongoing investigations into his methods of evasion and potential assistance from others.

Mr Kirishima denied his connection to the specific incident that landed him on the wanted list but hinted at involvement in other bombings targeting a construction firm, Kyodo reported citing police interviews at the hospital.

The suspect revealed his identity four days before his death on January 29 following treatment for terminal stomach cancer.

He asserted that he had been alone during his time as a fugitive and expressed remorse for his participation in the bombings. 

(Xinhua/NAN)