A New Method: "Group-Chat Brokering"
On April 16, 2026, the Cybercrime Countermeasures Division of the Metropolitan Police Department busted an organization that had been brokering prostitution using the group-chat function of social media such as LINE, arresting seven people including the leading offenders on suspicion of violating the Anti-Prostitution Act (procuring prostitution).
Unlike conventional methods (websites and matching apps), this group connected women and customers through invitation-only group chats. It appears they judged that, by using a "closed space," evidence would be less likely to remain than with publicly visible social-media posts.
The Evolution of Investigative Methods
This time, police analyzed communication records based on a disclosure request to the social-media platform and on leads obtained from victims' testimony. After identifying all the members of the group chat, they moved to make simultaneous arrests.
"Even in a closed community, if even one of the people involved cooperates, it is possible to uncover the whole picture," an investigation source said.
A Warning About the Spread of the Method
Brokering using group chats may have spread to cases beyond the one busted here. The National Police Agency issued an alert to the relevant investigative agencies and directed them to strengthen their response to similar methods.
This article is compiled from publicly available information and from interviews with investigation sources.