On December 2, Aichi Prefectural Police announced the arrest of three individuals suspected of involvement in fraudulent activities linked to a base located in Paillin, Cambodia. The suspects include 31-year-old construction company executives Shota Kimura and Takaho Tsurutani, along with a 37-year-old unemployed individual named Koutarou Sakai. The police have not disclosed details regarding the suspects' statements on their involvement.

The base in Cambodia's western region of Paillin reportedly houses around 40 Japanese nationals, along with residents from China, South Korea, and India. Encompassing a spacious area comparable to two or three dome stadiums, the establishment includes amenities such as restaurants, apartments, and a hotel with a casino. The environment at this base suggests a considerable scale of operations coordinated for facilitating fraudulent schemes.

According to police reports, the three suspects are accused of conspiring with others to deceive a 49-year-old unemployed woman from Imabari, Ehime Prefecture on September 13 of the previous year. Posing as police officers, they allegedly informed her that she was involved in money laundering and needed to verify cash in her bank account, which led her to transfer 500,000 yen. Koutarou Sakai had reportedly traveled to Cambodia around June of the same year under the introduction of his acquaintances, Kimura and Tsurutani, and was involved as a 'kakeko,' who performs these fraudulent calls under Chinese supervision.