Taipei prosecutors have dropped rape and kidnapping charges against a Bamboo Union gang member after finding the two Japanese accusers came to Taiwan for paid escort work — a sharp reversal in a case that reached Japanese diplomatic channels.

• The two women said they were lured to Taiwan, locked in a room, had their passports and cash seized, and were forced into sex on camera.
• Phone records showed one woman had arranged the trip in advance on WeChat for a large fee covering three days, and both could move freely and keep their phones.
• The real dispute was over payment: the man handed over Chanel and Gucci bags and a Labubu doll instead of cash, and claimed the bags covered the fee.
• Angry at being paid in handbags, the women went home and filed the accusations together through the Japan-Taiwan exchange association; prosecutors found no medical evidence or signs of force.
• The investigation did turn up a separate crime — the same man later drove another Japanese woman around hotels to sell sex, earning him a five-month sentence, convertible to a fine.

Outlook: The rape and confinement case is closed unless the women appeal, while the pimping conviction stands and is likely to be settled with a fine.