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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 7 suspected leaders of crime group in Japan arrested–BI

7 suspected leaders of crime group in Japan arrested–BI

Published May 23, 2025 03:40 pm

Seven Japanese nationals who are suspected to be leaders of the JP Dragon Group, which is considered one of the biggest crime groups in Japan, have been arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

“The arrest of these key figures in the JP Dragon Group is a major win for the administration,” said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado on Friday, May 23.

“We have dismantled their presence in the Philippines, and this marks the collapse of their fraud operations,” Viado said.

In a statement, the BI said that operatives of the bureau’s Fugitive Search Unit (BI-FSU) arrested the seven Japanese nationals during operations conducted last Wednesday, May 21, in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan and in Ermita, Manila.

The BI identified those arrested in Bulacan as Hiraki Ishikawa, 45; Tsubasa Amano, 30; Sasaki Ken, 37; Akira Sambonchiku, 26; and Naoto Matsumoto, 35.

Those arrested in Manila were identified as Rintaro Yamane, 27, and Masato Morihiro, 37.

It also said “Matsumoto was found to be an overstaying alien,” while the six others were found to be subjects of arrest warrants issued by a summary court in Fukuoka, Japan last March 5 “due to charges of theft that were filed against them.”

“The syndicate is implicated for involvement in a range of illegal activities, mostly fraud, targeting senior citizens in Japan.  Their modus is to impersonate authorities to deceive victims into giving large sums of money,” the BI said.

“The syndicate allegedly stole ATM cards and posed as law enforcers to harass and deceive their elder victims in surrendering bank cards and other banking information under the pretext of a police investigation,” it also said.

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