‘Luffy’ gang member in PH nabbed in Pampanga 

One of the remaining members of “Luffy” gang, a Japanese syndicate orchestrating scams, was arrested by the operatives of the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) Fugitive Search Unit on Thursday in Pampanga.

The joint operation with the Philippine National Police led to the arrest of Ohnishi Kentaro, 47, at Barangay Cutcut in Angeles.

“Ohnishi was tagged as an undesirable alien after the BI received information from the Japanese government that an arrest warrant was issued by the Tokyo Summary Court in 2022 for theft in violation of the Japanese Penal Code,” said BI in a statement on Friday.

The bureau said that the foreign suspect and his accomplices pose as law enforcers to trick elderly victims into surrendering their ATM cards in the guise of police investigation. 

“This resulted in the group making unauthorized ATM withdrawals, amassing a substantial amount of stolen assets,” said BI.

“According to Japanese authorities, the syndicate generated over ¥1 billion in illicit proceeds from theft, fraud, and other illegal activities,” the bureau added.

The BI said that the Japanese citizen will face deportation proceedings.

Several arrested “Luffy” members have been deported since 2023. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/BAP, GMA Integrated News