Nine Japanese fugitives wanted in Tokyo for telecommunications fraud were deported on Thursday although Immigration agents said it was not an easy task.
“They tried all means of physical tricks not to board the plane, pushing their guards until airport policemen and immigration agents handcuffed them to prevent them from harming other persons nearby,” said an agent who asked not to be identified.
Once handcuffed, the nine suspects, escorted by Japanese police left for Narita after boarding their planes at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1.
Those deported were identified as Matsuoka Shunjiro, Haga Kenji, Yoshizawa Shinichi, Takeda Tasuya, Araki Toshiya, Ogawa Takuma, Hiramura Takashi, Kiya Yasuke, and Ichimura Shuichi.
The 9 are reportedly part of a syndicate involved in telecom fraud and extortion. They were arrested in a hotel in Makati City November 2019 by the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) Fugitive Search Unit.
The arrest initially targeted two fugitives, but the operation yielded another 34 who were caught in the act of engaging their modus, the BI said.
“They were involved in voice phishing and telephone fraud operations that targeted Japanese,” said BI Commissioner Jaime Morente.
Japanese authorities reported that the gang defrauded their victims of roughly two billion yen, equivalent to half a billion pesos, causing significant damage to Japanese society.
A group of 10 gang members were deported earlier this month to face their crimes in Tokyo, Morente said, who added the fugitives have been placed in the Immigration’s blacklist, thus barring their return to the country.
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