TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Friday announced the bust of a club in Shinjuku Ward for overcharging customers, reports Nippon News Network (July 17).
On the evening of June 12, Daisuke Funakoshi, a 34-year-old employee of hostess club Gypsy, located in the red-light district of Kabukicho, allegedly demanded 270,000 yen from three male customers after one hour of service. The victims had previously agreed to a rate of 5,000 yen for 50 minutes.
After the suspect threatened to call a lawyer to secure the payment, the victims were taken to a nearby convenience store to withdraw 200,000 yen in cash from an automatic-teller machine.
Funakoshi, who has been charged with violating a metropolitan ordinance that prohibits bottakuri, or overcharging, has denied the allegations. “I did direct them to an ATM but it was not for the collection of a debt,” the suspect is quoted by police, according to TV Asahi (July 17).
Since July of last year, police have busted more than 20 clubs in Kabukicho for the same crime.
