PH to expedite deportation of alleged Japan robbery leader ‘Luffy’

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31) — The Philippine government has committed to fast-track the deportation of four Japanese nationals suspected to operate a robbery ring in Japan, including the supposed mastermind who goes by the alias "Luffy."

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday said Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla “has given a firm commitment to expedite the process of deportation and has vowed cooperation with the Japanese Embassy and government on the matter.”

This came after the DOJ met with the Japanese Embassy, which requested the deportation of the four suspects arrested in the Philippines.

In making the request, the embassy presented four outstanding warrants pending in Japan for years.

On Tuesday, Remulla told reporters the government targets to send two of the suspects back to Japan by the end of the week.

"But the other two, we will see how fast we can act on these matters,” he said in a press briefing.

He added they aim to finish the deportation of all four before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visits Japan around the second week of February.

The DOJ chief explained that foreign nationals cannot be deported yet if they have a pending criminal case. He said three of the four suspects still face charges in the country, mostly for violence against women and children.

Remulla also noted that the DOJ has yet to ascertain who “Luffy” is among the 17 Japanese nationals detained at the Bureau of Immigration.

Japanese news media have identified the suspect as a certain Yuki Watanabe who allegedly led a string of robberies in the East Asian country, with one resulting in the murder of a 90-year-old woman.

The Japan Times reported that the presumed mastermind had been sending instructions via smartphone from an immigration detention center in Manila.

READ: DOJ says Japanese nationals may have run criminal enterprises from BI jail

In a briefer released last Friday, the DOJ said Watanabe was caught by Philippine immigration authorities in April 2021.

A deportation order was filed against him a month later, but the department noted that Watanabe has a pending criminal case for violence against women and children in the Philippines.

“We will make sure the cases against them are dismissed before we deport anybody, as is the case that should be followed,” Remulla said.

“There should be no pending case of interest against these people from the Philippine government," he added.

The DOJ chief also said they will see if the case against the alleged ringleader was only filed for him to escape deportation and prolong his stay here.

READ: Cases filed vs. Japanese robbery suspects may be ‘invented’ - DOJ chief

CNN Philippines' Anjo Alimario contributed to this report.