Japanese police arrested two suspects, Thai and Japanese nationals, accusing them of illegally running prostitution within a massage parlour in Tokyo, and also detained three Thai nationals for providing sex services on student visas.
The Tokyo prostitution arrests were carried out by officers from the Public Security Division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in June, although details of the operation were only recently made public through Japanese media reports.
Police arrested 50 year old Thai woman Misaki Nitwanla at a massage parlour in Hirai, Edogawa ward, while 51 year old Japanese national Naoki Hakamada was arrested in Oji, Kita ward.
According to police, the pair are accused of jointly operating a sex service business in a prohibited area and employing foreign nationals without valid work permits. Police said Misaki admitted to the allegations, while Hakamada denied the charges.
Investigators allege the accused operated four establishments across Tokyo, including one in Ueno, Taito ward. The businesses generated about 343 million yen, or more than 71 million baht, in revenue between November of 2022 and June this year.
Japanese news agency Sankei reported that three Thai nationals, two men and one woman, were also arrested during the operation.
The three were staying in Japan on student visas and did not hold permits allowing them to work. They are also accused of offences related to operating the illegal business. Police have not disclosed the penalties the accused could face if convicted.
The arrests follow another case involving a Tokyo massage parlour operator reported last year. Japanese authorities arrested 51 year old Masayuki Hosono in November after accusing him of illegally employing a 12 year old Thai girl and forcing her to provide sexual services.
The girl was rescued after reporting the abuse to Japanese police. According to investigators, she told officers her mother had taken her to Japan in June last year under the pretext of a holiday before leaving her at the massage parlour.
Thai authorities later arrested the girl’s mother in Taiwan before extraditing her to Thailand to face legal proceedings. In June this year, a Thai court sentenced the woman to seven years and six months in prison in connection with the case.
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