Two Japanese fugitives deported to Tokyo, one of them a 'Luffy' gang member —BI

The Bureau of Immigration on Friday said it has deported two Japanese fugitives to Tokyo on Wednesday to face the charges filed against them. One of them is a member of the "Luffy" gang, the BI said.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado identified the two as Takeuchi Kazuo, 57, and Nishiwaki Yutaka, 44.

They were escorted out of the Philippines then boarded separate flights bound for Tokyo on July 29.

The BI's Fugitive Search unit (FSU) arrested Takeuchi in July 2023 after Japanese authorities informed the bureau that he fled to the Philippines.

Takeuchi is facing charges of robbery resulting in bodily injury and theft filed with the Sage Summary Court.

BI operatives nabbed Nishiwaki in January 2026 in a joint operation with the Philippine National Police and the National Police Agency of Japan.

"He was wanted by the Tokyo Summary Court for theft after allegedly posing as a law enforcement officer to deceive elderly victims into surrendering their ATM cards and personal banking information, allowing his group to steal funds through unauthorized withdrawals," the BI said.

Nishiwaki is also a member of Luffy syndicate, Japanese authorities said. The syndicate is a transnational criminal organization said to have amassed more than 1 billion yen via theft, fraud, and other illegal activities while operating from the Philippines, the BI said.

“Our close cooperation with Japanese law enforcement authorities has been instrumental in ensuring that fugitives cannot use the Philippines as a sanctuary from justice. Through timely intelligence sharing and joint operations, we continue to strengthen our collective fight against transnational criminal organizations,” Viado said.

Viado added that the BI would continue to work with international partners to prevent foreign syndicates from using the Philippines as a base for criminal activities. —KG, GMA News