Overview of the Arrests
On February 14, 2024, the Organized Crime Control Bureau of the Osaka Prefectural Police and the Hyogo Prefectural Police arrested four leaders of a Southeast Asian prostitution ring (two Japanese nationals and two foreign nationals) on suspicion of human trafficking, violating the Anti-Prostitution Act (baishun boshi-ho), and violating the Immigration Control Act.
At least 20 women have been confirmed as victims. The group lured women from Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia under the guise of "restaurant staff" or "hotel staff," then confiscated their passports upon arrival in Japan and forced them into commercial sex work.
Results of International Cooperation
The crackdown was triggered by a "list of travelers suspected of being trafficked to Japan" provided by authorities in the women's countries of origin. Immigration authorities also cooperated, and identifying suspicious individuals at the immigration-screening stage led to the bust.
Victim Support
The 20 women who were rescued had their repatriation procedures advanced in cooperation with support organizations and their countries' embassies in Japan. For women who said they did not wish to return home, support was also provided to those who hoped to obtain special permission to remain in Japan.
This article was compiled based on publicly available information.