22-05-2025
Alleged members of Japanese syndicate fall —BI
Operatives from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested high-profile targets who were allegedly part of a Japanese crime syndicate.
According to a "24 Oras" report by John Consulta on Thursday, military intelligence groups and the BI Fugitive Search Unit nabbed the suspects after months of surveillance and staging separate operations in Manila and Bulacan.
'Medyo naging challenging itong operation natin na ito, kasi nga sinusubukan nating makuha yung seven na mga subject natin. Nung maconfirm natin ang mga suspect nila, agad tayong nakipagtulungan sa San Jose del Monte police station at sa Ermita police station upang pasukin ang kanilang pinagtataguan,' said BI Fugitive Search Unit head Rendel Sy.
(This operation became challenging because we were trying to get our seven subjects. When we confirmed that these were our suspects, we immediately coordinated with the San Jose del Monte police station and the Ermita police station to raid their hideout.)
BI shared that the suspects were allegedly part of JP Dragon Syndicate, which was considered one of the biggest crime groups in Japan.
'Itong grupo na ito na nahuli natin ay isa sa mga JP Dragon Syndicate na matagal nang nagtatago at nagooperate dito sa atin ng kanilang telecom fraud syndicate. Sinasabi din na itong grupong ito, karamihan sa mga leader nila ay mga former Yakuza. So, maoobserbahan natin yung dynamics ng grupo nila ay very similar sa Yakuza. Ang Luffy Group syndicate ay mula din sa grupo na ito,' Sy added.
(This group we've caught is one of the JP Dragon syndicates that have long evaded arrest and operated their telecom fraud syndicate here. Most of their leaders were formerly part of the Yakuza. We can observe that their dynamics are very similar to the Yakuza. The Luffy Group syndicate came from this group, too.)
The syndicate was said to run scam operations targeting senior citizens in Japan, which sometimes led to physical harm to their victims.
'Sila ang nagtitimon ng mga gagawin ng mga actors nila sa Japan, kung saan papasukin ang mga bahay ng matatanda, kukunin yung mga ATM cards, at doon uumpisahan ang mga pagnanakaw. Napakamahalaga na mahuli natin at mapadeport [sila] sa Japan. Hindi malayong magkaroon at malocalize din yung market nila at magkaroon sila ng mga Filipino na cohorts, at eventually magkaroon din po ng Pilipino na biktima… 'Yun po yung iniiwasan natin,' Sy added.
(They are instructing their actors in Japan on what to do, which senior homes they should break into, steal their ATM cards, and start serial robberies there. It's very important that we catch them and deport [them] back to Japan. It's not impossible that their markets would become localized and they will start getting Filipino cohorts, and eventually have Filipino victims… That is what we're trying to avoid.)
The suspects are now detained at the BI detention facility in Bicutan. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/LDF, GMA Integrated News
