Tokyo police have arrested a Vietnamese woman on suspicion of illegally employing Vietnamese nationals at five bars in Tokyo.

Duong Thi Minh Hong, a 29-year-old Vietnamese national, operates five so-called girls bars, including one named "Queen" in Bunkyo Ward.

The police say that during a period from July to October, Duong employed 15 Vietnamese to deal with customers, an act they are not qualified to do under their residency status.

The police also arrested 16 people on suspicion of engaging in unqualified activities, illegal stay and submitting forged residence cards to police.

Investigators say Duong has admitted to the charges, saying she hired students studying in Japan for her bars, which are disguised as restaurants.

An employee who submitted a fake residency card told the police she had studied at a Japanese-language school, but was dismissed because she could not pay the tuition. She added she wanted to earn money to send to her family.

Investigators suspect the five bars have earned sales of more than 400 million yen, or about 2.6 million dollars, since 2019.