By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-06-23 14:16:27 | Updated at 2026-06-23 15:16:59
1 hour ago
Philippine authorities detained on June 23 a Japanese man wanted by Tokyo authorities over thefts and who is also suspected of being a senior member of the crime ring that used monikers such as “Luffy” and orchestrated robberies across Japan, sources knowledgeable about the case told Kyodo News.
Immigration officers and police operatives apprehended Hideharu Inoue, 56, at a rented condominium in Manila’s Makati business district after intelligence officials confirmed his identity, the sources said. He was carrying fake Philippine government-issued identification cards bearing a fictitious name.
Inoue is wanted under an arrest warrant issued in January by the Tokyo Summary Court for allegedly stealing ATM cards from two women in their 60s and 80s in Tokyo in November 2019.
He is also the subject of a deportation warrant issued by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration.
Several wanted Japanese suspects, including members of the Luffy group, which orchestrated fraud and robberies across Japan between 2021 and 2023, and the allied JP Dragon syndicate, have been detained in the Philippines in recent years. Most have since been deported. KYODO NEWS
