INQUIRER file picture / ALEXIS CORPUZ
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed on Friday the arrest and detention of a yakuza boss who has been working a transnational crime ring out of the Philippines since 2022.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado described as a “important victory” the arrest of Japanese nationwide Ryuji Yoshioka, 54, the chief of the so-called JP Dragon crime ring.
BI data confirmed that Yoshioka has not left the Philippines since 2022 when he arrived after a warrant for his arrest was issued by a courtroom in Fukuoka, Japan.
He arrived two years after one in all his high aides, Tomohiro Koyama, who was subsequently deported final November together with two different JP Dragon members who have been suspected of creating calls from the Philippines to defraud individuals in Japan.
The JP Dragon gang is believed to be behind large-scale theft and telecom fraud schemes with operational bases in Southeast Asia.
Job nicely finished
Viado mentioned BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) arrested Yoshioka in Angeles Metropolis, Pampanga, on June 4 with the assistance of the Philippine Navy and the Northern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“This particular person is a key participant in a global crime group. His arrest sends a transparent message that the Philippines will not be a protected refuge for fugitives,” Viado emphasised.
“Yoshioka’s arrest is a testomony to our dedication to uphold justice and defend the Philippines from turning into a haven for worldwide fugitives,” Viado mentioned.
Viado recommended the FSU, led by its chief Rendel Ryan Sy, for the profitable operation that adopted persevering with surveillance that has resulted within the arrest of at lest 10 JP Dragon gangsters.
Yoshioka’s aide Koyama was truly arrested in January 2024, however estafa fees have been filed towards him by his Filipino girlfriend apparently so he may dodge abstract deportation.
Viado didn’t specify the costs towards Yoshioka, apparently to keep away from a delay in his deportation due to fees pending in Philippine courts.
Final November, Koyama was deported with fellow JP Dragon members Hiroki Nagaura, 26, and Eisei Miura, 41.
In keeping with the English-language Japan Instances, Koyama and his two companions have been linked to the so-called Luffy group, a separate yakuza ring believed to be behind a collection of burglaries in Japan.
Others in hiding
In keeping with the Nippon Hoso Kyoka tv community, the Luffy group is led by Kiyoto Imamura, 41, who can be believed to be within the Philippines.
Final month, lawmen arrested seven JP Dragon gangsters in simultaneous operations in Metro Manila and Bulacan.
The BI didn’t determine all of the seven arrested gangsters, aside from Hikari Ishikawa, 45, and Masato Morihiro, 37.
Your subscription couldn’t be saved. Please attempt once more.
Your subscription has been profitable.
Ishikawa was arrested with 4 others in a residential subdivision in Bulacan whereas Morihiro was nabbed with one other JP Dragon member in a condominium in Metro Manila.
