Japanese authorities, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, have re-arrested Hiroaki Obata, the head of a scout group 'Natural', along with three others, under suspicion of violating labor laws by introducing women into the sex industry. The arrests, announced on the 17th, stem from allegations that from September to November 2023, they colluded with others to arrange for women in their twenties to provide sexual services to an unspecified number of male clients at an entertainment establishment in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture. All individuals have not disclosed their positions regarding the allegations.

The police's Organized Crime Countermeasure Division believes that 'Natural' has repeatedly engaged in illegal scouting practices, sending women to prostitution shops and receiving a portion of their earnings as referral fees. Obata had previously been arrested in January of this year for allegedly paying designated fees to gang members to recruit women, under a violation of the Tokyo Organized Crime Exclusion Ordinance, while operating from Amami Oshima in Kagoshima Prefecture.

'Natural' is regarded as an 'anonymous fluid-type crime group', with an estimated 1,500 individuals operating nationwide in various entertainment districts. According to the police, the group earned approximately 4.45 billion yen in a single year from referral fees received from sex shops they introduced women to in 2022, highlighting the scale and impact of these illegal activities throughout Japan.