The Japanese embassy recently praised the Philippine government for their constructive response and cooperation in deporting citizens of Japan who were involved in organized robberies across the country.
On Tuesday morning, Manila deported two of the four Japanese suspects, Toshiya Fujita and Kiyoto Imamura, back to Japan. The other two, including the alleged mastermind Yuki Watanabe and Kojima Tomonobu, will be sent back on Wednesday night.
The wait for the deportation of the suspects finally came to an end after four years of Japan’s initial request in 2019. Philippine officials emphasized that the prompt resolution of the matter through their swift deportation will ensure that there are no distractions during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s first visit to Japan from February 8th to 12th since taking office in June of the previous year.
The four Japanese citizens who are suspected of orchestrating telephone scams were also believed to have directed a series of robberies in Japan while they were being held in a Philippines immigration facility. The Japanese police had obtained arrest warrants for these suspects.
These four detainees were involved in at least 14 robberies across different prefectures in Japan and were also linked to the murder of a 90-year-old woman in a suburb in Tokyo. This gained national attention in Japan.
According to Philippine authorities, they confiscated 24 communication devices, including mobile phones, tablets, and chargers, from the detainees. These gadgets were then turned over to the Japanese authorities on Tuesday afternoon.
Toshiya Fujita and Kiyoto Imamura, both 38 years old, were deported back to Japan and were accompanied by nine Japanese police escorts. In photos released by the Philippine Immigration Bureau, they were seen wearing handcuffs, light blue shorts, navy shirts, and bulletproof vests.
Yuki Watanabe and Kojima Tomonobu, the remaining two suspects, will be escorted by seven Japanese policemen when they board Japan Airlines flight JL078 at 11:45 p.m. on Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1. They were cleared for deportation on Tuesday after a local court dismissed the cases against them.
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