BI nabs yakuza boss in Angeles
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed on Friday the arrest and detention of a yakuza boss who has been operating a transnational crime ring out of the Philippines since 2022.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado described as a “significant victory” the arrest of Japanese national Ryuji Yoshioka, 54, the leader of the so-called JP Dragon crime ring.
BI records showed that Yoshioka has not left the Philippines since 2022 when he arrived after a warrant for his arrest was issued by a court in Fukuoka, Japan.
He arrived two years after one of his top aides, Tomohiro Koyama, who was subsequently deported last November along with two other JP Dragon members who were suspected of making calls from the Philippines to defraud people in Japan.
The JP Dragon gang is believed to be behind large-scale theft and telecom fraud schemes with operational bases in Southeast Asia.
Job well done
Viado said BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) arrested Yoshioka in Angeles City, Pampanga, on June 4 with the help of the Philippine Navy and the Northern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“This individual is a key player in an international crime group. His arrest sends a clear message that the Philippines is not a safe refuge for fugitives,” Viado emphasized.
“Yoshioka’s arrest is a testament to our commitment to uphold justice and protect the Philippines from becoming a haven for international fugitives,” Viado said.
Viado commended the FSU, led by its chief Rendel Ryan Sy, for the successful operation that followed continuing surveillance that has resulted in the arrest of at lest 10 JP Dragon gangsters.
Yoshioka’s aide Koyama was actually arrested in January 2024, but estafa charges were filed against him by his Filipino girlfriend apparently so he could dodge summary deportation.
Viado did not specify the charges against Yoshioka, apparently to avoid a delay in his deportation because of charges pending in Philippine courts.
Last November, Koyama was deported with fellow JP Dragon members Hiroki Nagaura, 26, and Eisei Miura, 41.
According to the English-language Japan Times, Koyama and his two companions were linked to the so-called Luffy group, a separate yakuza ring believed to be behind a series of burglaries in Japan.
Others in hiding
According to the Nippon Hoso Kyoka television network, the Luffy group is led by Kiyoto Imamura, 41, who is also believed to be in the Philippines.
Last month, lawmen arrested seven JP Dragon gangsters in simultaneous operations in Metro Manila and Bulacan.
The BI did not identify all the seven arrested gangsters, except for Hikari Ishikawa, 45, and Masato Morihiro, 37.
Ishikawa was arrested with four others in a residential subdivision in Bulacan while Morihiro was nabbed with another JP Dragon member in a condominium in Metro Manila.
