noun
receiver of stolen goods; fence
Legal term for a person who knowingly buys stolen property. In everyday speech, more common words like 盗品買い (とうひんかい) or 盗品等譲受人 (とうひんとうゆずりうけにん) may be used, but 故買者 is the precise legal designation.
故買者として逮捕された。
He was arrested as a receiver of stolen goods.
法律上、故買者は盗品と知りながら購入した者を指す。
Legally, a 故買者 refers to a person who purchased goods knowing they were stolen.
A broader legal term that includes receivers of stolen property; 故買者 specifically refers to those who purchase such goods.
Compound of 故 (ko, 'intentional' or 'knowing') + 買 (bai, 'buying') + 者 (sha, 'person'). The term originates from legal contexts to describe someone who knowingly purchases stolen items.