Japanese prosecutors on Tuesday arrested one of the most successful producers in Japan`s pop music history, the company behind one of his acts said, reportedly on suspicion of fraud.

Tetsuya Komuro, who has sold millions of records with J-pop sensations such as TRF and globe, was seen on television being driven to prosecutors` offices in the western city of Osaka.

Rows of dark-suited investigators were also seen going to the 49-year-old songwriter`s apartment building in Tokyo.

Avex Group Holdings, which has globe and some of Japan`s most popular pop music labels under its wing, confirmed Komura had been arrested.

`We still do not know details of what he is suspected of, but we very much regret that he was arrested,` it said in a statement.

Komuro is alleged to have defrauded an investor out of 500 million yen (five million dollars), Japanese news agencies and television networks said.

The sum is considered small compared with the billions of yen he had racked up as a producer.

During the mid-1990s he was regarded as one of the richest men in Japan on sales of the more than 170 million CDs he produced, and owned Ferraris, luxury cruisers and villas in Hawaii, Bali and Malibu.

`As bank passbooks show only up to 10 digits, I`ve lost track of my money,` the tabloid Nikkan Sports once quoted him as saying in an interview.

Komuro has admitted wrongdoing to prosecutors, according to the Jiji Press news agency.

`It`s true. I`m very sorry and there is nothing that excuses me,` he was quoted as saying. Prosecutors refused to comment on the case.

Reports said Komuro allegedly told an investor in western Hyogo prefecture he would sell for one billion yen the copyright of 806 tunes he had composed and written words for, even though he did not actually own the rights.

The man paid Komuro 500 million yen as part of the fake contract.

Komuro made his musical debut in a three-member band TM NETWORK in 1984.

He then rose to stardom as a producer in the 1990s by forming a group of top-selling artists called `Komuro family.` They included diva Namie Amuro as well as singing groups TRF and globe, and enjoyed a large fanbase in Asia.

But he fell into debt in recent years due to payments to his divorced wife and failures in overseas investment, reports said.

A joint venture set up in Hong Kong with News Corp., led by media magnate Rupert Murdoch, reportedly left Komuro with losses of seven billion yen.

Globe was due to release two CDs this month and next in what was seen as a comeback bid by Komuro.

Avex announced Tuesday it would call off the releases of the CDs, entitled `Get Wild` and `Self Control.` Komuro is now married to the 36-year-old lead singer of globe, who goes by the name kco.