Japan Police Arrest Exec of Group Referring Women to Sex Trade

Tokyo, Nov. 19 (Jiji Press)--Japanese police have arrested five men including an executive of a group referring women it found on social media to sex trade shops across the country, it was learned Tuesday.

The group executive, Kazuma Endo, 33, is denying violating the employment security law in the case, while the four others have admitted to it, said sources at the joint investigation headquarters of Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department and Oita prefectural police in southwestern Japan.

According to the sources, the group, called "Akusesu," had about 160 members who used aliases among themselves. Police are investigating the group as a "tokuryu" anonymous, fluid criminal network.

The group is believed to have earned hundreds of millions of yen in referral fees by sending women to a total of about 350 sex trade shops in all prefectures except Shimane in western Japan.

The group allegedly lured women by advertising high-paying jobs on X, formerly Twitter, and made them send personal information such as facial photos and identification documents.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]