On Wednesday, September 10, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) deported six Japanese nationals who were identified as significant figures in the infamous “JP Dragon” crime syndicate.
Alex Arciaga, head of the BI deportation unit, confirmed that Hiraki Ishikawa, 46; Tsubasa Amano, 30; Akira Sambonchiku, 26; Naoto Matsumoto, 36; Rintaro Yamane, 28; and Masato Morihiro, 38, were sent back to Tokyo via a Japan Airlines flight from Ninoy Aquino International Airport. These individuals were apprehended on May 21 during separate operations by the bureau’s fugitive search team in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, and Ermita, Manila.
The “JP Dragon” group, according to Japanese authorities, is implicated in large-scale fraud schemes that victimize Japan’s senior citizens by impersonating officials to obtain ATM cards and financial information.
Five members had outstanding theft warrants in Fukuoka, Japan, while Matsumoto was found to be overstaying in the Philippines. All six have been blacklisted, preventing their future entry into the country.
