Two Japanese men and a Thai woman were arrested Thursday for allegedly forcing seven Cambodian women to work in hostess bars in Gunma Prefecture last year, police said.

Hostess bar operator Hisao Watanabe, 44, and another Japanese suspect have admitted to violating the immigration law, while the Thai woman has denied the allegation, according to police.

The incident came to light after one of the women informed the Cambodian Embassy in Japan that she was forced to work as a prostitute, though she had been recruited to work as a waitress earning around $3,000 a month, the police said.

A Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Wednesday the embassy had rescued seven Cambodian women after they were brought to Japan in November.