THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) deported today a Japanese man suspected of being a member of the notorious “Luffy” gang which has been linked to numerous theft and fraud cases in their country.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said 54-year-old Takayuki Kagoshima and a team of Japanese police escorts boarded a Japan Airlines flight to Narita, Tokyo which left the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) today at 10 am.
Tansingco said Kagoshima is the seventh suspected member of the “Luffy” gang to be deported by the BI since the presence in the country of these fugitives was reported to the BI.
Six other gang members were deported by BI last February and March and they were expelled pursuant to a summary deportation order that were issued against them by the BI board of commissioners in October last year.
Kagoshima was arrested in Pasay City last March 4 by operatives from the BI fugitive search unit (FSU).
“There will be no letup in our campaign to hunt and deport all foreign fugitives who are hiding in the country. We cannot allow the Philippines to become a refuge for these wanted criminals,” Tansingco stressed.
According to BI deputy spokesperson Mabulac, Kagoshima is subject of an outstanding arrest warrant issued by a court in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan where he has been charged with theft.
Mabulac said Kagoshima has been on the BI’s wanted list since October 2023 when a summary deportation order was issued against him and eight other alleged members by the bureau’s board of commissioners for being undesirable aliens.
A check of the BI’s travel records showed that Kagoshima arrived in the Philippines on Nov. 7, 2022 and he never left since then, hence he is already overstaying.
Japanese authorities alleged that Kagoshima is also a member of the so-called “JP Dragon” syndicate that plotted to steal cash cards from victims by pretending they are police officers.
It was also gathered that aside from overstaying, Kagoshima is already an undocumented alien as his passport was already revoked by the Japanese government.#
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