The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested seven Japanese nationals who are allegedly key figures in a notorious criminal fraud syndicate operating in Japan.
Operatives from the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) apprehended the "gang leaders" on Wednesday, May 21, during two separate operations carried out in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, and Ermita, Manila.
Authorities apprehended five of the suspects at a residential property along Quirino Highway in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, while the remaining two were captured inside a condominium unit on Adriatico Street in Ermita, Manila.
Japanese law enforcement identified the group as members of the ‘JP Dragon’ crime syndicate, a group allegedly behind numerous large-scale fraud operations in their home country.
The group is suspected of engaging in multiple criminal activities, mainly fraud, with elderly Japanese citizens as their primary targets. They allegedly pose as authorities to extort large amounts of money from their victims.
In addition, the group is accused of stealing ATM cards and posing as police officers to coerce elderly victims into handing over banking details by falsely claiming they were part of an official investigation.
BI-FSU chief Rendel Ryan Sy stated that a summary court in Fukuoka, Japan, issued arrest warrants on March 5 for six suspects following theft charges filed against them.
Additionally, one of the individuals was found to be an overstaying alien.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado described the arrest of key members of the JP Dragon group as a significant victory for the administration.
“We have dismantled their presence in the Philippines, and this marks the collapse of their fraud operations,” he added.
