By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – Philippine authorities on Thursday arrested two high-value Japanese fugitives allegedly linked to transnational crime syndicates in coordinated operations in Metro Manila.
The first operation was conducted in Mandaluyong City, resulting in the arrest of Sato Taiki, who is classified as an undesirable alien and is wanted in Japan for theft under the Japanese Penal Code.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) on Friday said Taiki is a member of the “Luffy Group,” which is tied to over 50 robberies across 14 Japanese prefectures from 2021 to 2023, including a Tokyo heist that killed a 90-year-old victim.
Several senior members of the group were deported from the Philippines in early 2023.
In a follow-up operation in Manila, authorities arrested Masayuki Aoyagi, who has a standing deportation warrant dated Oct. 25, 2023.
PAOCC said Aoyagi is also an undesirable alien wanted in Japan for theft-related offenses and is a key figure in the JP Dragon Syndicate, a transnational group largely composed of former Yakuza affiliates.
In a press briefing, PAOCC Executive Director Undersecretary Benjamin Acorda Jr. said the operations that netted the two involved the PAOCC, Bureau of Immigration (BI), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Air Force (PAF), and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“These operations highlight the strength of our intelligence-sharing and inter-agency coordination,” he said.
Intelligence reports show the syndicates used the Philippines as a base for scam operations, setting up “online workstations” that function as telecom fraud hubs targeting vulnerable individuals, especially the elderly, through social engineering schemes.
Acorda reiterated that the country will not be a refuge for foreign fugitives.
“We remain firm in our commitment to dismantle transnational criminal networks and protect both our citizens and our international partners,” he said.
The suspects were turned over to the BI and are undergoing deportation proceedings. (PNA)
