Gang Member Re-Arrested Over Alleged Kidnapping of Teenage Girl Sent to Cambodia Fraud Base With Promise of 'Money Overseas'
This article organizes publicly available information into a single account. Where it describes an arrest or an ongoing investigation, that reflects only one stage of criminal procedure and does not mean guilt has been established (the presumption of innocence applies). We will update this article as new information becomes available, including the outcome of prosecution, non-prosecution, or trial. This article is not intended to unfairly disparage any individual, group, nationality, ethnicity, or belief, and aims to provide objective, fact-based information.
The Metropolitan Police Department announced on August 17, 2026 that it had re-arrested Teruto Yamao, 26, a member of a Sumiyoshi-kai-affiliated organization, on suspicion of kidnapping a minor. According to a report by Nippon TV News NNN, Yamao is accused of conspiring with others in October 2025 to approach a then-teenage girl who frequented Kabukicho in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward with lines such as, "You can make money overseas — some girls earn five million yen in a week," before taking her to a lodging facility in Arakawa Ward and confining her there.
The girl was reportedly flown out of Haneda Airport to a special-fraud base in Cambodia after having her passport confiscated, and was forced to work as a "kakeko" (phone-fraud caller) targeting elderly victims. The case came to light after she escaped the base in July 2026 and was taken into protective custody by the Japanese embassy in Cambodia; she has reportedly said all of her earnings were sent back to the suspect's side. This marks the fifth time Yamao has been arrested in connection with the case.
Current status: The full chain of command behind the alleged kidnapping and the operational details of the base to which the girl was sent remain unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
Regarding Cambodia-based special-fraud organizations, other reported cases include one in which a man was arrested for interpreting a Chinese ringleader's instructions (related coverage) and one in which 13 people transferred from Cambodia were arrested (related coverage). These cases continue to reveal a pattern in which Japanese nationals serve as recruiters while young people, including women, are sent to overseas bases to work as callers.
Editorial Perspective
No decision on indictment has been made at this stage, so this article reflects information from the investigative phase. An arrest is only one step in criminal procedure and does not establish guilt (the presumption of innocence). According to National Police Agency and Ministry of Justice statistics, the number of Penal Code cases involving foreign nationals visiting Japan has risen for two consecutive years since 2023, but remains below its mid-2000s peak (related article). A single case does not necessarily reflect the broader statistical trend; further developments are worth watching.