Japan crime group leader in Philippines arrested over theft
The "JP Dragon" gangster syndicate, led by Ryuji Yoshioka, 55, and operating from bases in Asia, is believed to have been involved in a string of fraud cases and thefts in Japan.
Its members are alleged to have impersonated Japanese authorities in tricking victims, including elderly people, into handing over money.
The arrest of Yoshioka on Wednesday evening in Angeles, a city north of Manila, signals the end of operations for one of the group's bases in Southeast Asia, according to Joel Anthony Viado, chief of the Bureau of Immigration.
The group is also suspected by authorities of being linked to another crime ring that has organized a series of burglaries across Japan since 2021.
A Philippine immigration officer said Yoshioka can speak Tagalog, having been in the Philippines for over a decade, and operates businesses such as online gambling, cockfighting and karaoke bars. He is also wanted by local authorities on suspicion of swindling.
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If the MPD's inspection section had acted on the issue, the investigation could have been reviewed and the indictment could have been avoided, but the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office indicted the president and two others on March 31. Tokyo High Court recognizing investigation as 'illegal' In July the following year, the prosecutors' office abruptly revoked the trio's indictment, saying that "suspicions have arisen over the content of the charges." It was just four days before the first court hearing. In response, Ohkawara Kakohki filed a state compensation suit, and the Tokyo High Court ruled in May 2025 that the investigation had been illegal, stating, "There were basic issues with the (investigators') judgment regarding the establishment of a crime." The ruling has since been finalized. During the state redress trial, the Shimada interrogation that had spurred the whistleblowing report became a point of contention. According to the ruling, the inspector in question deceived Shimada, who was denying the illegal export allegations, and created a deposition stating that he had admitted to the charges. After Shimada checked the content of the deposition and protested, the inspector shredded the document. The court ruled that the creation of the deposition was "illegal as it employed deceptive methods." The verdict pointed out that "it was inconceivable that (the deposition) would be disposed of so easily," which aligned with the assessment of the Public Security Bureau, and that the MPD's claims that the document was scrapped due to negligence was "unnatural." Regarding the deposition's disposal, a committee for the inquest of prosecution ruled in February that it was unreasonable not to indict the inspector. While the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office once again dropped charges against the inspector over suspected damaging of documents for government use, it has launched an investigation into charges of the creation and use of false official documents with seals in connection with the creation of the report stating that the deposition was scrapped due to negligence. Upon an inquiry by the Mainichi, the MPD responded, "Due to the nature of whistleblowing report, we will refrain from answering based on the assumption of either that it took place or that it did not."
