An immigration officer was arrested Friday on suspicion of receiving about ¥6 million in bribes from a man who runs pubs in exchange for favors involving residence permits for foreign women working as bar hostesses, police said.
Masashi Ogura, 54, a senior immigration officer at the Narita Airport District Immigration Office, allegedly received the bribe from Shingo Ito, 46, in 2007 regarding applications for certificates of resident eligibility, the police said.
Dozens of Filipino women who came as dancers have made the illegal entry through the scheme, and were working in Ito's pubs.
Both Ito, who was also arrested Friday, and Ogura have owned up to the charges, according to the police.
Ogura served as a senior immigration officer at the Yokohama District Immigration Office, part of the Justice Ministry's Immigration Bureau, at the time of the bribes.
According to police, Ito had approached Ogura after hearing rumors that the Yokohama immigration office was lax in checking the certificates. Ito allegedly wined and dined Ogura as well as taking him to golf courses and handing over ¥200,000 a month.
Ogura received ¥5.8 million for the favors he gave Ito.