MANILA – Five Japanese nationals wanted in their home country for alleged fraud and theft have been deported by the Bureau of Immigration (BI), authorities confirmed Tuesday.
BI Warden Facility Chief Velasco Felix said the fugitives departed for Tokyo via a Japan Airlines flight from Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.
The deportees—identified as Iwamoto Miyako, Osawa Ayumi, Norichika Harada, Nobuyuki Arima, and Yuya Yano—were previously arrested by the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit in coordinated operations in Bulacan and Quezon.
Investigations revealed that some members of the group were associated with a breakaway faction of the “JP Dragon” syndicate, an organized network known for executing large-scale fraud schemes, often targeting elderly victims.
Japanese authorities have issued warrants against the suspects for their alleged role in deceptive schemes involving the extraction of bank information and funds from victims.
The BI disclosed that the group had been engaged in suspicious activities while in the Philippines, including the operation of online scam hubs.
Following their deportation, the five individuals have been blacklisted and are no longer allowed to re-enter the Philippines.
ia/xf
