TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have busted a hostess club in the Akihabara area that has been overcharging customers, reports TBS News (Mar. 24).
Since January of last year, police have received nearly 30 complaints regarding the practice of bottakuri, or bill padding, at Gossip Girl, which is located near JR Akihabara Station.
On Thursday, police announced the arrest of Ryosuke Shimada, the 22-year-old former manager of the club. On March 3, the suspect is alleged to have persistently hassled two men on the street of Akihabara.
According to TV Asahi (Mar. 24), the suspect typically lured customers into the club by offering 50 minutes of services for 4,000 yen. He later presented them with a bill for a much higher than expected figure.
In seeking payment, he sometimes followed customers outside and all the way to their residences. One other person has been arrested in the case.
Shimada admits to the allegations.
Since 2012, the club has collected approximately 830 million yen in sales.
