HumanTrafficking.org | Japan Government Agency: National Police Agency (NPA)

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Japan

National Police Agency (NPA)

Address

National Police Agency (NPA)
2-1-1 Kasumigaseki
Chiyoda-Ku
Tokyo 100-8974
Japan

Contact Information

If calling from Japan:

Tel: 03 3581 8974

If calling from overseas:

Tel: +81 3 3581 8974

Website

http://www.npa.go.jp/english/

Activities

The National Police force is a member of the Inter-Ministerial Liaison Committee (Task Force). The Task Force implements the National Action Plan on Measures to Combat Trafficking in Persons. It consists of a comprehensive range of measures centered on the prevention of human trafficking including the strengthening of immigration control; the punishment of the perpetrators of human trafficking through a revision of the Penal Code and strengthened enforcement; and victim protection such as protection in shelters.

The National Police Agency established a community safety bureau. The NPA also participated in a number of Symposiums against trafficking of persons, and have directly assisted trafficking victims. The NPA has instructed prefecture offices to increase law enforcement efforts against traffickers; investigate suspect locations and possible organized crime connections; report any foreigners arrested for prostitution who may have been trafficked; provide female officers to interview female victims; and provide counseling and medical assistance as required. An Organized Crime Control Department was established in the Japanese Police in early 2004 to carry out these anti-trafficking activities.

The NPA also participated in 16 transnational investigations. Victims were generally not encouraged to participate in investigations or prosecutions of traffickers. However, the Immigration Bureau is revamping its training programs to include the proper treatment and questioning of victims. Efforts are also underway to improve screening of travelers arriving in Japan from key source countries of trafficking and to tighten the issuance of "entertainer" visas, which are often used by traffickers to bring victims to Japan.¹

The NPA also produced a training video on trafficking and distributed it to all police offices to improve their awareness of trafficking.²

The NPA reported 54 human trafficking investigations through November 2005, compared with 79 in 2004. In 2004 the NPA reported 58 arrests and 48 prosecutions. The NPA improved its handling of trafficking cases and provided guidelines on victim identification and treatment to local police forces. The NPA also took concrete steps to increase cooperation with foreign law enforcement agencies on trafficking cases. Between January and June 2005, police referred 29 trafficking cases to the public prosecutor, an increase of 16 from the same period in 2004. In 2004 the NPA arrested 41 individuals for trafficking related offenses, 8 of whom were traffickers. Of these, 36 were convicted: 14 received prison terms, 17 received fines, and 5 received both a fine and prison term.³

¹ 2004 US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report
² 2004 US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report
³ 2005 US Department of State Human Rights Report