The Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the police recently launched a joint raid in Angeles City, Pampanga Province, Philippines, successfully arresting a Japanese national who is internationally wanted and alleged to be the leader of one of Japan's largest criminal organizations, "JP Dragon". He is suspected of organizing telecommunications fraud and operating illegal online gambling in Southeast Asia.
According to the Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) of the Immigration Bureau, the 54-year-old suspect was unexpectedly arrested while celebrating his birthday at a local resort, unprepared for the raid. The operation was jointly conducted by the BI and the Philippine Police Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) of the third district, and was executed swiftly and precisely.
Joel Antonio Viado, the Director of the Immigration Bureau, stated that the suspect has been involved in numerous illegal gambling operations within the Philippines and is also suspected of leading large-scale telecommunications fraud targeting the elderly population in Japan, involving millions of dollars.
Law enforcement authorities claim that the man is the notorious mastermind behind the "Luffy Group". The group's members are mostly former members who have left the Japanese gang system, and their network of activities is widely spread across Asia, making it a major criminal organization that the Japanese police have been cracking down on in recent years.
The suspect has now been transferred to the headquarters of the Manila Immigration Bureau, awaiting the start of deportation procedures, during which he may also face judicial investigations for illegal activities in the Philippines.
In a previous operation in Bulacan, five individuals were arrested in a residential area along Quirino Highway: Hiraki Ishikawa (45), Tsubasa Amano (30), Ken Sasaki (37), Akira Mitsumoto (26), and Naoto Matsumoto (35); two others—Rintaro Yamane (27) and Masato Morihiro (37)—were caught in an apartment on Adriatico Street in Ermita, Manila.
Rendel Ryan Sy, head of BI-FSU, revealed that the Fukuoka Court in Japan had issued arrest warrants on March 5 this year for six of them, accusing them of involvement in a series of theft cases. Naoto Matsumoto was charged with illegal stay.
Viado described the arrests as a significant victory in combating transnational crime, "As the President said, the Philippines will not become a haven for foreign criminals. With the capture of these key members, the operations of 'JP Dragon' in the country have been completely dismantled."
Currently, the Philippine Immigration Bureau is closely cooperating with the Japanese authorities to prepare for the swift deportation of these seven individuals back to their country to face judicial sanctions.