(Photo courtesy of BI)
MANILA – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Tuesday deported two Japanese nationals tagged as members of the notorious “Luffy” gang.
Sugano Kazushi and Shimoeda Saito were deported back to their homeland via a Japan Airlines flight to Tokyo early Tuesday, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement.
He said the foreigners were sent back to Japan for being undesirable aliens after the Japanese government tagged them as fugitives from justice for reportedly working as fraudulent callers for a criminal group victimizing his compatriots.
The two are the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the Tokyo Summary Court for being part of a large-scale telecommunication fraud group.
Tansingco said they have "reason to believe" that the two foreigners may be part of the infamous Luffy group, which allegedly committed a string of violent crimes in Japan.
The two have been hiding in the Philippines since 2019. A manhunt was conducted against them and their cohorts after receiving official communication from the Japanese government in February 2023 regarding their criminal status.
Shimoeda was intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Nov. 16, 2023, after attempting to flee the country on a Cebu Pacific flight bound for Nagoya, Japan.
Upon knowing that he was being arrested, Shimoeda resorted to alarming tactics and intentionally bumped his head on the immigration counter and feigned distress.
“This successful deportation is a testament to the collaborative partnership and good relationship between the Philippines and Japan. We will not allow our country to be used as a hiding ground for criminals and syndicates,” the BI chief added. (PNA)
