Thai police have asked the Japanese Embassy in Phnom Penh to assist them with inquiries into a 24-year-old Japanese national that has fathered at least 15 children from surrogate mothers and is suspected of human trafficking.

Police sources told the Bangkok Post that they have asked the embassy to help locate three of Mitsutoki Shigeta’s babies, who are believed to have been brought to Cambodia.

Shigeta is a Cambodian citizen and is linked to various businesses in the Kingdom.

A representative who answered the telephone number listed for several companies registered under Shigeta’s name yesterday said that he was in Japan and had been in regular contact.

“I don’t know. It’s not my business,” the man said when asked if any of Shigeta’s children were in Cambodia.

The Bangkok Post reported that Shigeta’s lawyer on Wednesday told Thai police that he would submit to questioning about why he had fathered the children.

The Japanese Embassy declined to comment. Phnom Penh anti-human trafficking police yesterday confirmed they were also investigating the case but declined to comment further.