Luffy robberies

The Luffy robberies were a series of robberies in Japan which took place in 2021 and 2022. They have been linked to the alias "Luffy", are suspected to have been organised by detainees based in the Philippines. In 2023, four Japanese nationals were deported back to Japan over their suspected involvement in the Luffy robberies.

Luffy robberies
Date2021–2022
LocationJapan and the Philippines
TypeRobbery scheme
ThemeTransnational organized crime
TargetResidents in Japan
Perpetrator"Luffy"

Background

2019 Makati hotel arrests

The Luffy robberies are linked back to the arrest of 36 Japanese nationals in a hotel in Makati over running a telecom fraud and extortion scheme.[1][2] According to the Japanese police, the group has victimized 1,393 Japanese nationals with damages estimated to cost around ¥2 billion (₱1 billion).[1] The detained individuals were deported between 2020 and 2021.[3]

Suspects

The Luffy robberies has been masterminded by an individual operating under the alias "Luffy", after Monkey D. Luffy, the protagonist of the Japanese manga series One Piece. Japanese and Philippine media reports has named Yuki Watanabe to be "Luffy", but authorities in the Philippines has not confirmed this,[4] leaving it up for their Japanese counterparts to confirm the identity the individual behind "Luffy".[5]

Yuki Watanabe is detained at the Bureau of Immigration Bicutan Detention Center. He has been detained since April 19, 2021 and has been a subject of a summary deportation order since May 28, 2021. However his deportation has been placed on hold for another alleged crime in the Philippines – a violence against women and children (VAWC) charged filed against him. Another Japanese national, Imamura Kiyoto has a similar VAWC case filed against him and also had his deportation deferred.[6] Tomonobu Saito and Fujita Toshiya are other suspects to the case.[7] All four are suspected to be senior members of the group behind the Makati hotel fraud and extortion scheme busted back in 2019.[1]

Activities

Criminal activity in Japan related to the Luffy robberies are believe to first began in the Japanse summer of 2021.[4] No less than 50 incidents in 14 prefectures has been suspected to be linked with the Luffy group since that period.[8] Watanabe, Kiyoto, Saito, Toshiya, the suspected ringleaders of the Luffy operation, are already under detention in the Philippines when they started their scheme.[4]

With access to mobile phones, they recruited accomplices to Japan via social media. They offered "dark part-time jobs" for prospects in exchange for high financial compensation. They would relay instructions to gang members via the Telegram application. Accomplices would pose as police officers or Japan Financial Services Agency members and trick victims that their accounts has been compromised. They would aim to visit their victim's residences to steal their target's ATM cards and withdraw all the money in it.[4]

Accomplices in Japan has been receiving instructions from individuals based in the Philippines under the names Luffy and Kim.[8]

2023 deportations

On January 30, 2023, the government of Japan requested the Philippine government to deport the four suspects back to Japan. They first requested for the deportation back in 2019 but they have been held in the Philippines over separate criminal charges filed in Philippine courts.[9][10]

Toshiya Fujita and Kiyoto Imamura were deported back to Japan on February 7, 2023 after their cases in the Philippines were dismissed.[7] Yuki Watanabe and Tomonobu Saito were deported the following day.[5]

The Department of Justice has coordinated with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and the Bureau of Immigration to look into the previously pending cases against the four Japanese nationals which it suspects to be contrived cases filed to prevent their deportation back to Japan.[5]

References
  1. "36 Japanese nationals arrested in Makati for telecom fraud". CNN Philippines. November 15, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  2. Tomacruz, Sofia (January 31, 2023). "What we know so far: 'Luffy' serial robberies and Japanese fugitives in PH". Rappler. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  3. "Leaders of 'Luffy' robberies in Japan suspected of being behind Manila fraud ring". The Japan Times. Kyodo. January 28, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  4. Guinto, Joel (February 9, 2023). "'Luffy': Japan arrests 'crime bosses' who lived in Philippine jail". BBC News. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  5. Casilao, Joahna Lei (February 9, 2023). "Two other Japanese fugitives in 'Luffy' case deported". GMA News. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  6. Torres-Tupas, Tetch (January 30, 2023). "Who is 'Luffy' behind string of robberies? PH gov't still awaits Japanese confirmation". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  7. Torres-Tupas, Tetch (February 8, 2023). "2 more Japanese fugitives linked to 'Luffy' robberies deported". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  8. "Police: 50 thefts, robberies since 2021 tied to 'Luffy' group". The Asahi Shimbun. February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  9. Del Callar, Michaela (February 7, 2023). "Japan lauds PH response to deport suspects in 'Luffy' heists". GMA News. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  10. Obu, Toshiya (January 28, 2023). "'Luffy' criminal mastermind to be deported from the Philippines". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
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