Prosecutors in Tokyo have begun raiding the offices of two factions of the main ruling Liberal Democratic Party in connection with a political fundraising scandal.

It is alleged that the factions failed to report the receipt of political funds in violation of the Political Funds Control Law.

On Tuesday morning, the prosecutors entered the office of the LDP's largest faction, which was formerly led by late Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.

They also entered the office of a faction that is headed up by Lower House member Nikai Toshihiro.

The factions are suspected of paying kickbacks to the offices of their lawmakers who sold fundraising party tickets in excess of their quotas, without recording the amount as revenue in their political fund reports earned.

Sources say the offices of many Abe faction members are suspected of having received kickbacks. The offices of the former Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu and five senior members are among them.

The factions are suspected of having not declared the kickback payments as expenditures, and the offices of the lawmakers involved are suspected of having not declared them as revenue.

The unreported money collected by the Abe faction over a five-year period through 2022 likely adds up to about 500 million yen, or about 3.5 million dollars.

The amount of revenue from fundraising parties that the office of the Nikai faction kept off its political fund reports during the same period is believed to be roughly 700,000 dollars.

The prosecutors believe the factions instructed the offices to systematically carry out the reporting practice.