Tokyo cops close investigation into commercial sex scouting group
In January, police opened the special investigation headquarters into Access. In justifying its closure, police said that a certain degree of progress had been made in clarifying and dismantling the group.
Police also announced the re-arrest of the group's leader, 34-year-old Kazuma Endo. In the latest allegations, police say that Endo received a total of approximately 120 million yen in criminal proceeds from the operation between February and November of last year.
The proceeds include referral fees, called 'scoutbacks,' from commercial sex businesses. To conceal the transfer of money, concealed cash was sent via postal mail on approximately 480 occasions to a 'virtual office.' Kazuma Endo (X)
Regarding his re-arrest for violating the Organized Crime Punishment Act for concealment of criminal proceeds, he has remained silent.
Law enforcement considers Access to be an anonymous, mobile crime group ( tokuryu ). The group included about 300 members with access to around 1,800 sex businesses across the country.
Over a five-year period starting in 2019, the group is believed to have referred around 78,000 women to sex businesses nationwide and received approximately 6 billion yen in compensation.
All told, police arrested a total of 12 executives and scouts during the investigations. As well, five corporations operating sex-related businesses in various regions were busted.
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