ANOTHER Japanese Luffy gang member was arrested in Taguig City by operatives of the Bureau of Immigration (BI-FSU) Fugitive Search Unit.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said Kensuke Kudo, 28, was arrested last August 1 at a residential area in Taguig in an operation carried out in coordination with the National Police Agency of Japan and the Philippine National Police–Intelligence Group (PNP-IG).
Viado said Kudo was wanted in Tokyo for his alleged involvement in a massive fraud operation.
“Kudo was apprehended pursuant to existing immigration warrants and derogatory records,” Viado said, adding Kudo was also the subject of a warrant of arrest issued by the Tokyo Summary Court in January for theft in violation of the Japanese Penal Code.
“Reports from Japanese authorities revealed that Kudo and his accomplices posed as law enforcement officers to deceive elderly victims into surrendering their ATM cards and personal information. The group then allegedly used the stolen data to withdraw large sums of money without authorization,” the BI chief added.
Viado said the Japanese is among the remaining active members of the Luffy syndicate, a Japan-based criminal network that operated from the Philippines and is believed to have amassed over 1 billion yen through theft, fraud, and related cybercrimes.
A series of joint operations between Philippine and Japanese authorities since last year has already dismantled much of the organization.
Further investigation by the BI revealed that his Japanese passport expired on October 4, 2024, and he has not filed any renewal application, rendering him an overstaying and undesirable alien.
“A formal communication from the Embassy of Japan in Manila also classified him as a fugitive posing a threat to public safety and security,” Viado said.
Kudo is currently detained at the BI Warden Facility in Bicutan, Taguig pending deportation proceedings.
In April this year, immigration operatives also arrested another Luffy gang member identified as Takuya Hoshino in Las Pinas City.
In January this year, authorities apprehended another gang member identified as Sasaki Takashi inside his residence in Savana Village, San Pablo City, Laguna.
Luffy is a fictional character, the captain of the “Straw Hat” pirates in the popular Japanese manga series One Piece.
