Philippine Bureau of Investigation nabs yakuza boss in Angeles
MANILA: The Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed on Friday (June 5) the arrest and detention of a yakuza boss who has been operating a transnational crime ring out of the Philippines since 2022.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado described as a 'significant victory' the arrest of Japanese national Ryuji Yoshioka, 54, the leader of the so-called JP Dragon crime ring.
BI records showed that Yoshioka has not left the Philippines since 2022 when he arrived after a warrant for his arrest was issued by a court in Fukuoka, Japan.
He arrived two years after one of his top aides, Tomohiro Koyama, who was subsequently deported last November along with two other JP Dragon members who were suspected of making calls from the Philippines to defraud people in Japan.
The JP Dragon gang is believed to be behind large-scale theft and telecom fraud schemes with operational bases in South-East Asia.
Viado said BI's Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) arrested Yoshioka in Angeles City, Pampanga, on June 4 with the help of the Philippine Navy and the Northern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
'This individual is a key player in an international crime group. His arrest sends a clear message that the Philippines is not a safe refuge for fugitives,' Viado emphasised.
'Yoshioka's arrest is a testament to our commitment to uphold justice and protect the Philippines from becoming a haven for international fugitives,' Viado said.
Viado commended the FSU, led by its chief Rendel Ryan Sy, for the successful operation that followed continuing surveillance that has resulted in the arrest of at lest 10 JP Dragon gangsters.
Yoshioka's aide Koyama was actually arrested in January 2024, but fraud charges were filed against him by his Filipino girlfriend apparently so he could dodge summary deportation.
Viado did not specify the charges against Yoshioka, apparently to avoid a delay in his deportation because of charges pending in Philippine courts.
Last November, Koyama was deported with fellow JP Dragon members Hiroki Nagaura, 26, and Eisei Miura, 41.
According to the English-language Japan Times, Koyama and his two companions were linked to the so-called Luffy group, a separate yakuza ring believed to be behind a series of burglaries in Japan.
According to the Nippon Hoso Kyoka television network, the Luffy group is led by Kiyoto Imamura, 41, who is also believed to be in the Philippines.
Last month, lawmen arrested seven JP Dragon gangsters in simultaneous operations in Metro Manila and Bulacan.
The BI did not identify all the seven arrested gangsters, except for Hikari Ishikawa, 45, and Masato Morihiro, 37.
Ishikawa was arrested with four others in a residential subdivision in Bulacan while Morihiro was nabbed with another JP Dragon member in a condominium in Metro Manila. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
12 hours ago
- The Star
Philippine Bureau of Investigation nabs yakuza boss in Angeles
MANILA: The Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed on Friday (June 5) the arrest and detention of a yakuza boss who has been operating a transnational crime ring out of the Philippines since 2022. Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado described as a 'significant victory' the arrest of Japanese national Ryuji Yoshioka, 54, the leader of the so-called JP Dragon crime ring. BI records showed that Yoshioka has not left the Philippines since 2022 when he arrived after a warrant for his arrest was issued by a court in Fukuoka, Japan. He arrived two years after one of his top aides, Tomohiro Koyama, who was subsequently deported last November along with two other JP Dragon members who were suspected of making calls from the Philippines to defraud people in Japan. The JP Dragon gang is believed to be behind large-scale theft and telecom fraud schemes with operational bases in South-East Asia. Viado said BI's Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) arrested Yoshioka in Angeles City, Pampanga, on June 4 with the help of the Philippine Navy and the Northern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. 'This individual is a key player in an international crime group. His arrest sends a clear message that the Philippines is not a safe refuge for fugitives,' Viado emphasised. 'Yoshioka's arrest is a testament to our commitment to uphold justice and protect the Philippines from becoming a haven for international fugitives,' Viado said. Viado commended the FSU, led by its chief Rendel Ryan Sy, for the successful operation that followed continuing surveillance that has resulted in the arrest of at lest 10 JP Dragon gangsters. Yoshioka's aide Koyama was actually arrested in January 2024, but fraud charges were filed against him by his Filipino girlfriend apparently so he could dodge summary deportation. Viado did not specify the charges against Yoshioka, apparently to avoid a delay in his deportation because of charges pending in Philippine courts. Last November, Koyama was deported with fellow JP Dragon members Hiroki Nagaura, 26, and Eisei Miura, 41. According to the English-language Japan Times, Koyama and his two companions were linked to the so-called Luffy group, a separate yakuza ring believed to be behind a series of burglaries in Japan. According to the Nippon Hoso Kyoka television network, the Luffy group is led by Kiyoto Imamura, 41, who is also believed to be in the Philippines. Last month, lawmen arrested seven JP Dragon gangsters in simultaneous operations in Metro Manila and Bulacan. The BI did not identify all the seven arrested gangsters, except for Hikari Ishikawa, 45, and Masato Morihiro, 37. Ishikawa was arrested with four others in a residential subdivision in Bulacan while Morihiro was nabbed with another JP Dragon member in a condominium in Metro Manila. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
Malaysian Reserve
3 days ago
- Malaysian Reserve
US$92b damage order against ex-bosses of Fukushima operator overturned: Japanese media
TOKYO — The Tokyo High Court on Friday overturned a $92 billion damages order against four ex-bosses of the operator of the devastated Fukushima nuclear plant, Japanese media reported. The former executives had in 2022 been ordered to pay 13.3 trillion yen in a suit brought by shareholders over the nuclear disaster triggered by a massive tsunami in 2011. Shareholders had argued the catastrophe could have been prevented if Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) bosses had listened to research and implemented preventative measures like placing an emergency power source on higher ground. But the defendants countered that the risks were unpredictable, and the studies cited were not credible. The court did not immediately confirm Friday's news reports when contacted by AFP. The 13.3 trillion yen damages award was believed to be the largest amount ever ordered in a civil suit in Japan. It was meant to cover TEPCO's costs for dismantling reactors, compensating affected residents, and cleaning up contamination. In 2015, British oil giant BP was ordered to pay $20.8 billion for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in what was described at the time as the highest fine ever imposed on a company in US history. Jiji Press reported Friday that the High Court had denied the tsunami was a predictable event. 'Take responsibility' Footage broadcast on Japanese networks showed the plaintiffs holding a banner calling for an even higher damages order of 22 billion yen. 'Take responsibility for the Fukushima nuclear accident!' their banner said. Three of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant's six reactors were operating when a massive undersea quake triggered a massive tsunami on March 11, 2011. They went into meltdown after their cooling systems failed when waves flooded backup generators, leading to the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Overall the tsunami along Japan's northeast coast left around 18,500 people dead or missing. In March, Japan's top court said it had finalised the acquittal of two former TEPCO executives charged with professional negligence over the Fukushima meltdown. The decision concluded the only criminal trial to arise from the plant's 2011 accident. — AFP
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- New Straits Times
13 Asian nationals detained over illegal homestay rental syndicate
KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department detained 13 Asian nationals during a raid on a syndicate running unauthorised homestay rentals at two locations in the city, near Jalan Ipoh and Jalan Sultan Ismail. The operation, carried out by the Intelligence and Special Operations Division on Tuesday, followed two weeks of surveillance and public tip-offs regarding suspicious activities involving foreigners. Immigration deputy director-general (management) Ismail Mokhtar said those arrested comprised nine Bangladeshi men and one Bangladeshi woman, an Indonesian man, an Indian woman, and a Filipino woman, aged between 24 and 40. "Investigations revealed they had been running an online homestay rental business for over a year by leasing residential units from local owners and re-renting them to customers via digital platforms. The rental rates offered ranged from RM80 to RM400 per night, depending on the room size and location," he said in a statement yesterday. Six of those detained held Temporary Employment Visit Passes for work in the construction and cleaning sectors, while the rest did not have valid travel documents or passes. Items seized during the raid included copies of rental agreements, passports, 48 building access cards, a laptop, three mobile phones, guest information forms, and cash totalling RM74,000 and US$2,160. All suspects are currently being held at the Immigration Headquarters in Putrajaya for further investigation.
