DAVAO CITY, Philippines— A Japanese who is wanted in Tokyo for theft and robbery was arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) along Estrella Avenue, barangay Poblacion, Makati City on Saturday, May 26.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the fugitive as 26-year-old Nagaura Hiroki, who was apprehended by operatives from the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU).
Tansingco stated that Hiroki’s arrest was initiated by Japanese authorities in Manila, who informed the BI of the fugitive’s presence in the Philippines. The BI chief revealed that Hiroki would soon be sent back to Tokyo, following an expulsion order issued by the BI in 2022 by the bureau’s board of commissioners.
“He was already placed on our immigration blacklist of undesirable aliens, thus he is perpetually barred from reentering the Philippines,” Tansingco added.
According to BI-FSU acting chief Rendel Ryan Sy, Hiroki had been hiding in the Philippines since November 20, 2019, when he last arrived in the country as a tourist. However, it was only in 2022 that the BI was informed of his criminal case in Japan.
Upon receiving this information, the BI promptly launched a manhunt for Hiroki and other accomplices involved in the ‘Luffy’ scheme. Hiroki reportedly has a standing warrant of arrest issued by the Tokyo Summary Court for theft in violation of the Japanese penal code. Tokyo police alleged that he conspired with another suspect to rob a home by falsely impersonating a police officer, enabling them to enter the residence under the pretext of investigating a stolen ATM card.
“Additionally, he is under investigation by Japanese authorities for his involvement in alleged telecommunications fraud activities,” Sy noted.
The fugitive is currently detained at the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, pending deportation proceedings.
