Four Japanese men who are alleged members of a telecom fraud syndicate in Cambodia were arrested in Pasay and Paranaque on Tuesday.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Fugitive Search Unit chief Rendel Ryan Sy told the Daily Manila Shimbun if it is proven the four, who arrived here in May, have no local case, they will be deported to Japan.

They have an arrest warrant in Japan.

BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said in a Viber message to the Daily Shimbun the Japanese are staying at the agency’s warden facility.

The alleged leader, Sawada Masaya, was nabbed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay around 11:10 a.m., National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Maj. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a message on Viber.

Masaya, who came from Cebu, was on his way home in Paranaque when he was arrested by police and immigration personnel.

His cohorts Suzuki Seiji, 29, Koji Ueda, 27, and Jun Kiyohara, 29, were collared at the home of Sawada at 2 pm when they were about to flee.

Sy said the BI received information the four were '' trying to set up their telecom (fraud) operations here.''

“The good thing is that the Japanese police immediately informed us that they were wanted individuals,” he added.

They did not have a warrant of arrest in Japan when they came here, said Sy.

Sy said they received a letter from the Japan Embassy on June 26, which prompted them to create tracker teams that helped them locate the house and possible locations of the group’s operations.

After establishing tracker teams, he said they conducted surveillance operation. Jaspearl Tan and Nicole Manalili/DMS