Overview

• The suspects are identified as Korean national Han Kapseol, 52, along with Ryota Watarai, 35, and Toru Tateoka, 30, arrested on suspicion of violating Japan’s Investment Law by charging ultra‑high interest.
• Investigators allege the group lent ¥500,000 to a 24-year-old woman in March 2023 in Shinjuku and had collected about ¥4,000,000 in interest by March 2025, roughly 20 times the legal cap.
• By April, six women had sought police help, with about ¥8,000,000 borrowed and roughly ¥22,000,000 paid in interest, according to the Metropolitan Police Life‑Economy Division.
• Victims reportedly learned of the lenders through introductions within the sex industry, and some were burdened by host‑club tabs before turning to the loans.
• At least one loan carried a daily interest rate near 1.07%, far above legal limits, and police say the investigation into the group’s broader operations is continuing.