2 Japanese held in Manila belong to syndicate running 'Luffy'-led ring
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2 Japanese held in Manila belong to syndicate running 'Luffy'-led ring
Kyodo News
Published Mar 14, 2024 10:32 AM PHT
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Updated Mar 14, 2024 10:33 AM PHT

Toshiya Fujita (L) and Kiyoto Imamura (R), suspected members of the "Luffy" group, which ran scams in Japan from the Philippines. Handout/File

Two Japanese men currently detained in Manila are members of a criminal syndicate that organized a series of burglaries in Japan, Philippine authorities said Wednesday, adding that the "Luffy"-led ring was part of the syndicate.
Two Japanese men currently detained in Manila are members of a criminal syndicate that organized a series of burglaries in Japan, Philippine authorities said Wednesday, adding that the "Luffy"-led ring was part of the syndicate.
Speaking to Kyodo News on condition of anonymity, a senior law enforcement officer who is familiar with the case said one of the men, identified as Tomohiro Koyama, is the "number three" man of the "JP Dragon" gangster syndicate, while the other one, Takayuki Kagoshima, admitted to being a member.
Speaking to Kyodo News on condition of anonymity, a senior law enforcement officer who is familiar with the case said one of the men, identified as Tomohiro Koyama, is the "number three" man of the "JP Dragon" gangster syndicate, while the other one, Takayuki Kagoshima, admitted to being a member.
Koyama was one of the 10 fugitives, including an alleged ringleader Kiyoto Imamura, whom Japanese authorities requested in 2019 to be deported, the officer said. Imamura was suspected of using the pseudonym Luffy when remotely planning burglaries committed in Japan in 2022, Japanese police have said.
Koyama was one of the 10 fugitives, including an alleged ringleader Kiyoto Imamura, whom Japanese authorities requested in 2019 to be deported, the officer said. Imamura was suspected of using the pseudonym Luffy when remotely planning burglaries committed in Japan in 2022, Japanese police have said.
Koyama, 49, was nabbed by Philippine police on Jan. 24 for a local fraud case, while Kagoshima, 55, was apprehended by immigration operatives on March 4 based on a warrant for theft issued by a court in Japan's Fukuoka Prefecture, the officer said. Both are presently detained at a Philippine immigration detention facility.
Koyama, 49, was nabbed by Philippine police on Jan. 24 for a local fraud case, while Kagoshima, 55, was apprehended by immigration operatives on March 4 based on a warrant for theft issued by a court in Japan's Fukuoka Prefecture, the officer said. Both are presently detained at a Philippine immigration detention facility.
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The officer said the discovery of the existence of JP Dragon and the group led by Luffy stemmed from the arrest of more than 30 Japanese nationals in November 2019 for running a telecom fraud scheme from the Philippines' financial district Makati.
The officer said the discovery of the existence of JP Dragon and the group led by Luffy stemmed from the arrest of more than 30 Japanese nationals in November 2019 for running a telecom fraud scheme from the Philippines' financial district Makati.
"After several arrests, deportations and investigation(s) in Japan, that's (when the name) 'JP Dragon' syndicate came up," the officer said, adding that based on information from Japanese authorities, investigators found out the Luffy ring has links with it.
"After several arrests, deportations and investigation(s) in Japan, that's (when the name) 'JP Dragon' syndicate came up," the officer said, adding that based on information from Japanese authorities, investigators found out the Luffy ring has links with it.
"After the investigation in Japan, we discovered that JP Dragon is the one running" the Luffy group, the officer said. The leader of the JP Dragon, however, remains at large.
"After the investigation in Japan, we discovered that JP Dragon is the one running" the Luffy group, the officer said. The leader of the JP Dragon, however, remains at large.
Imamura and three others have been indicted for some of the burglary cases in December following their deportation from the Philippines in February last year.
Imamura and three others have been indicted for some of the burglary cases in December following their deportation from the Philippines in February last year.
==Kyodo
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