By Robina Asido

Another suspected member of a notorious Japanese criminal syndicate known as "Luffy" was arrested in Laguna on Monday afternoon, a Bureau of Immigration (BI) official said Tuesday.

Based on the initial report, the Japanese national identified as Sasaki Takashi, 44, was apprehended at Savana Village, San Pablo City, Laguna around 5pm.

According to the BI's Fugitive Search Unit (FSU, the "National Police Agency in Japan claims that the subject is a member of a notorious criminal syndicate popularly called as Luffy group which is still allegedly running telecom fraud operations and extortion schemes in the Philippines."

Sasaki's arrest was made based on the warrant of arrest issued by the Tokyo Summary Court for Theft in Violation of Art. 235 of the Japanese Penal Code on Jan. 20, 2023.

"Subject is an undesirable alien and poses risk to public safety and security being a fugitive from justice as per official communication received by this unit from Chief Consul Makino Hideki of the Embassy of Japan in Manila," Immigration said.

It noted that Sasaki and his accomplices "stole ATM cards from mostly elderly victims by falsely posing as law enforcers and Local Finance Bureau employees".

The suspect "deceived his victims in surrendering their cards and other bank information under the pretext of police investigation."

Sasaki will be turned over to the warden facility of the Bureau of Immigration in camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City after the booking and documentation process. Robina Asido/DMS