MANILA -- Police arrested a 61-year-old Japanese national wanted for murder in Quezon City on Friday.
In a report submitted to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Col. Tomas Ibay, chief of the Regional Field Unit (RFU) of the National Capital Region (NCR), identified the suspect as Kenichirou Kobayashi, who was arrested after months of surveillance operations in Novaliches, Quezon City at about 6:30 a.m.
Kobayashi has a standing warrant of arrest for murder issued by Las Piñas City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 275 Judge Phoeve Meer on Jan. 22, 2018, with no bail recommended.
Based on the report, the suspect was the mastermind behind the Kirby Tan gun-for-hire group, which was responsible for the killing of two Japanese nationals - Shinsuke Toba and Tatsuya Nakamura, who were gunned down in Las Piñas City on Oct. 18, 2014 and Sept. 1, 2015, respectively.
Kobayashi was also put on the Interpol Blue Notice and he was apprised of his constitutional rights and the nature of his arrest.
He was brought to the CIDG-NCR office for documentation and proper disposition. (PNA)
