KUALA LUMPUR -The Metropolitan Police Department arrested a 38 year old Thai woman, a former manager of a private massage parlor in Tokyo’s Yushima area, on suspicion of violating the Child Welfare Act, last Thursday.

At the time of the incident, the woman was responsible for recruiting and hiring staff at the shop, and police believe she acted as a broker hiring the girl through her mother.

According to police, the suspect allegedly conspired with the shop’s owner, a 52 year old man who has been indicted for violating the Child Welfare Act and other offenses, to have the girl engage in indecent acts with male customers at the shop on June 30 last year without adequately verifying her age.

During questioning, she denied the allegations, telling investigators that while she had introduced Thai nationals in a broker role, she was no longer involved because she had left the shop.

Police said the suspect is believed to have introduced between 30 and 40 Thai women, including the girl, through social media and Thai community networks. 

About 3,000 contacts were found stored on her mobile phone, and investigators are treating her as a broker as they work to clarify the full scope of the case.

Police allege that around June 30 last year, the suspect had the girl provide sexual services to male customers without verifying her age.

According to police, the girl’s mother began working at the shop around May last year but left after several days. 

In mid-June, she allegedly contacted the suspect via social media and later that month left the girl at the shop to work. 

The girl is believed to have provided sexual services to about 70 customers by mid-August and entered Japan with her 29 year old mother on June 27 last year on a short-term stay visa. 

The mother was arrested by Thai police on December 23 on suspicion of human trafficking and related offenses, and the girl returned to Thailand on December 26.

On Wednesday, police searched another private massage parlor in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward currently operated by the woman. 

Authorities are analyzing seized smartphones and other items to determine how the girl came to work at the Bunkyo Ward shop.