By Ferdinand Patinio
MANILA – Another member of the infamous “Luffy” gang, which is being linked to theft, fraud, extortion, and violent crimes in Japan, has been arrested in the Philippines.
Takuya Hoshino, 23, was arrested inside his residence in a subdivision in Las Piñas City on Tuesday, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said in a news release on Wednesday.
Hoshino was the latest member of the notorious criminal gang arrested by the BI since last year, after their presence in the country was reported by the Japanese government.
“Like his colleagues in the syndicate whom we have earlier arrested, he, too, will be deported, blacklisted, and banned from re-entering the Philippines,” Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said.
Hoshino was detained at the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, pending implementation of the deportation order that the bureau’s Board of Commissioners issued against him for being an undesirable alien.
According to BI Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) chief Rendel Ryan Sy, Hoshino is subject of an outstanding arrest warrant issued by the Tokyo Summary Court on Sept. 15, 2022 after he was charged with theft in violation of the Japanese penal code.
The suspect and his cohorts allegedly stole ATM cards from unsuspecting elderly victims by impersonating law enforcement officers.
They were also accused of staging fake police investigations to dupe their victims into surrendering their bank cards.
Over 20 million yen, or more than USD141,000, in cash were reportedly siphoned off by the suspects through unauthorized withdrawals from the stolen cards.
A check on his travel record showed that Hoshino overstayed in the country for more than five years, as his last arrival was recorded on Oct. 30, 2019.
Viado said the arrest forms part of the government’s broader effort to protect national security and public safety, in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to strengthen border control and crack down on transnational crimes.
“This is a clear demonstration that under the Bagong Pilipinas agenda, lawbreakers — foreign or local — will not find refuge in our country. We are fully committed to upholding this vision, ensuring that our immigration system protects the Filipino people,” he said. (PNA)
