Nagaura Hiroki (Photo courtesy of BI)
MANILA – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday reported the arrest of another member of the notorious "Luffy" gang who is wanted by Japanese authorities for theft and robbery cases.
In a news release, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said 26-year-old Nagaura Hiroki was arrested on Sunday by members of the BI fugitive search unit (FSU) along Estrella Avenue in Barangay Poblacion, Makati City.
He will soon be deported to Tokyo as he was already ordered expelled by the BI in 2022 when an order for his summary deportation was issued by the bureau’s board of commissioners.
“He was already placed in our immigration blacklist of undesirable aliens, thus he is perpetually barred from reentering the Philippines,” the BI chief added.
Tansingco said the foreigner’s arrest was sought by Japanese authorities in Manila which informed the BI about the fugitive’s presence in the Philippines.
Hiroki is detained at the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending deportation proceedings.
BI-FSU acting chief Rendel Ryan Sy reported that Hiroki has been hiding in the Philippines since Nov. 20, 2019 when he last arrived in the country as a tourist. However, it was only in 2022 that the BI was informed of his case in Japan.
Upon receiving the information, the BI immediately conducted a manhunt against Hiroki, as well as other cohorts in the ‘Luffy’ scheme.
The Japanese reportedly has a standing warrant of arrest issued by the Tokyo Summary Court for theft in violation of the Japanese penal code.
Tokyo police alleged that he conspired with another suspect in robbing a home by impersonating a police officer which enabled them to enter the residential premise under the pretext of investigating a stolen automated teller machine (ATM) card.
“Further, he is being investigated by the Japanese authorities for his involvement in alleged telecommunications fraud activities,” the BI official said.
In March, the BI deported two members of the notorious Japanese gang --Sugano Kazushi and Shimoeda Saito. (PNA)
