Results of the Internationally Coordinated Investigation
On March 14, 2023, the Organized Crime Control Bureau of the Metropolitan Police Department arrested Eiji Yamaguchi, a 52-year-old suspect and leader of a human-trafficking ring operating across Japan and the Philippines, on suspicion of human trafficking and violating the Anti-Prostitution Act. The arrest was the result of an internationally coordinated investigation conducted through information sharing with the Philippine National Police.
The Ring's Methods
Yamaguchi and others recruited women within the Philippines under the pretext of "entertainment work in Japan." After they entered Japan, the ring confiscated their passports and made them work at sex-industry venues in and around Tokyo. One of the victimized women testified, "When I was interviewed in the Philippines, I was told it was a job as a singer."
Challenges in Countering International Human Trafficking
Addressing cross-border human trafficking requires law enforcement and support in both sending and receiving countries. Japan has strengthened its measures since the 2005 Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Persons, but in international assessments it is still in some cases positioned as a "country under watch."
This article is compiled based on publicly available information.