Suspected members of notorious Japanese crime group nabbed in Bulacan, Quezon — BI

Six Japanese fugitives wanted in their country for fraud and theft were arrested in separate operations across Luzon earlier this week, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Thursday. 

The BI said five of the apprehended foreigners were suspected members of the JP Dragon gang, a notorious crime syndicate in Japan allegedly involved in illegal activities such as wide-scale fraud targeting senior citizens. 

BI Fugitive Search Unit chief Rendel Ryan Sy said the arrests were carried out in separate operations in Bulacan and Quezon on Tuesday.

A 53-year-old Japanese male was arrested in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan by by virtue of an arrest warrant from the Hiroshima Summary Court.

He is facing charges of alleged forgery of private documents, uttering forged private documents, and fraud in violation of the Japanese Penal Code.

In Lucena City, Quezon, a 48-year-old Japanese male was apprehended due to an outstanding arrest warrant from the Fukuoka Summary Court for alleged theft.

He and his accomplices allegedly pretended to be law enforcement officers to dupe elderly victims into surrendering their ATM cards and personal information so that the suspects could make unauthorized withdrawals.

The BI-FSU also arrested two Japanese males aged 45 and 32 years old, as well as two Japanese females aged 34 and 33 in Candelaria, Quezon.

This was after they were found operating online workstations and processing documents containing multiple phone numbers suspected of being used in scamming activities.

Japanese authorities confirmed that they are wanted by the Fukuoka Summary Court for crimes related to fraud and theft.

Reports from Japan’s National Police Agency–Organized Crime Department showed that the five suspects arrested in Quezon are members of a breakaway faction of the JP Dragon syndicate.

It may be recalled that in June, the BI arrested Ryuji Yoshioka, 54,  a high-profile Japanese fugitive and the alleged leader of JP Dragon gang in Angeles City, Pampanga.

In a statement on Thursday, BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the BI is fully committed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive “to ensure that the Philippines does not become a refuge for international criminals,”

“The Bureau of Immigration continues to strengthen its coordination with foreign law enforcement agencies to uphold our nation’s integrity and maintain peace and order. Those who attempt to evade justice in their own countries will find no sanctuary her,” said.

The six Japanese nationals are undergoing deportation proceedings and will be included in the BI’s blacklist to prevent their return to the country.— JMA, GMA Integrated News