19-Year-Old Held Captive and Forced to Kneel Naked—Inside a Disturbing Human Trafficking Case

Forced confinement and coerced a naked apology while kneeling

On suspicion of abducting, confining, and attempting to traffic a then-19-year-old man, the Osaka Prefectural Police’s Investigation Division 4 arrested six individuals by July 1, including Tadatoshi Uehira (30), a company employee in Osaka City; Yukikane Okazaki (23), also a company employee in Osaka City; and Riki Takano (24), an unemployed man from Oita City, Oita Prefecture. They were arrested on charges of abduction for the purpose of bodily harm, confinement, and attempted human trafficking.

Uehira went by the alias “Isato Matsumoto” and was the leader of a semi-gang group of around 20 members called “Matsumoto Kuruu.” Okazaki was also a member of the group. Meanwhile, Takano led a large verbal sparring circle with roughly 6,000 members called “Prestige,” using the name “183 (Iyami).”

Around 5:00 a.m. on April 7, two teenage boys attacked the 19-year-old man from behind while he was walking on a street in Nara City. They dragged him into a car and took him to an apartment complex in Higashi-Osaka City, where they confined him. They assaulted him and ordered him to take it off, forcing him to strip completely and kneel in apology while naked.

Later, Okazaki and another teenage boy joined them at the apartment. Okazaki asked the boy if he wanted to buy custody of the man, but when he declined, Okazaki posted in the Matsumoto Kuruu group chat, saying, “Anyone want his body?” The one who responded was Uehira, who then headed to the apartment in Higashi-Osaka to retrieve the man.

As for why the victim became a target of human trafficking, it reportedly stemmed from a certain conflict within the group.

Militant semi-gang member

“The male victim was a former member of Prestige. He left the group this February but had previously lynched one of the arrested minors and posted the video on social media. He had also been involved in verbal fights with suspects Riki Takano and Tadatoshi Uehira, which led them to hold a grudge against him. On the day of the incident, Takano and Uehira were giving assault instructions to Okazaki and the minors via video calls on their smartphones,” said an investigative source.

So what kind of people are the alleged ringleaders, Uehira and Takano?

“Uehira was also a former member of Prestige. He formed the semi-gang group Matsumoto Kuruu, made up of about 20 people including underground martial arts fighters. He was feared in the scene as a militant type who would thoroughly investigate the background of anyone who challenged him before launching an attack. Takano, on the other hand, is the current leader of Prestige. The group engages in spontaneous verbal sparring and competes over who’s better. Takano is known for his merciless style of publicly shaming opponents and driving them into a corner. He was said to possess a godlike level of strength in verbal battles,” the source continued.

At around 11:45 a.m., approximately six and a half hours after the abduction, the victim complained of a stomachache and asked to go to the restroom. Okazaki and one of the minors escorted him to a nearby convenience store while keeping watch. Once inside the toilet, the man called 110 (the emergency number in Japan), saying, “I’ve been kidnapped and beaten. I’ve just been released and I’m in the men’s bathroom of a convenience store.” Police rushed to the scene and took him into protective custody.

Although the human trafficking was ultimately unsuccessful, Uehira reportedly attempted to buy the right to control the victim for 200,000 yen. These semi-gang groups that have turned into beasts wearing human skin must not be allowed to roam free.