Around 20 "Luffy" telecom fraud members are still at large in the country, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Sunday.

In a phone interview with The Daily Manila Shimbun, BI Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) Chief Rendel Sy said that " for example in the 'Luffy' group, I think more or less 20 members are among those (Japanese fugitives) hiding in the country".

Sy said the Japanese arrested in Makati Friday evening is not part of the ''Luffy'' group, which is behind some of the big theft and fraud cases in Japan.

The government has deported at least eight members of the ''Luffy'' group to Japan since 2023.

"The good thing is we caught those they consider as bosses so they won't be able to easily do a voice phishing operation in the country because the remaining at large are their low level employees", Sy added.

Last January, a suspected member of the group identified as Sasaki Takashi, 44, was apprehended at Savana Village, San Pablo City, Laguna.

Sy said that Sasaki held a a high position in the group.

Based on the observation of the BI FSU, Sasaki "is not meeting his cohorts and has no active operation in the country". Marie Nicole Manalili/DMS