BI nabs alleged 'Luffy' gang member in Makati

The Bureau of Immigration has arrested a suspected member of the notorious "Luffy" gang, which has been linked to multiple theft and fraud cases in Japan.

In a statement released on Saturday, the BI identified the suspect as Natsuki Kimura, a 33-year-old Japanese national.

Kimura was apprehended in Makati City on Friday based on an arrest warrant issued by the BI Board of Commissioners in March 2023.

Authorities said Kimura is one of several suspected "Luffy" gang members arrested in the Philippines whose presence here was reported to the bureau by the Japanese government.

"Like her co-conspirators in the syndicate, she, too, will be deported, blacklisted, and banned from re-entering the Philippines," said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado.

According to the BI report, Kimura and an accomplice allegedly posed as police officers, coercing victims into surrendering their ATM cards and personal information.

Kimura was allegedly a telephone operator for the Luffy syndicate's international activities.

Kimura is currently detained at the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, awaiting deportation procedures. — DVM, GMA Integrated News