BI deports another alleged ‘Luffy’ gang member 

Another alleged member of a gang that was notorious for a series of robberies in Japan has been deported, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Tuesday. 

The BI said that Takayuki Kagoshima, 54, was escorted by the Japanese police on his flight to Narita, Japan at 10 a.m. He is the seventh suspected member of the “Luffy” gang to be deported from the Philippines, the bureau added. 

Kagoshima was arrested by immigration authorities in Pasay City last March 4 following an outstanding arrest warrant for theft by a court in Fukuoka prefecture in Japan. 

The BI added that Kagoshima has been on the bureau’s wanted list since October 2023 after a summary deportation order was issued against him and eight other alleged members of the gang. 

Immigration’s travel records show that Kagoshima arrived in the country last November 7, 2022 and had been overstaying. 

Further, the BI found out that the Japanese government had already revoked his passport.

Japanese authorities alleged that Kagoshima is also a member of the so-called “JP Dragon” syndicate that steals cash cards from victims by pretending to be police officers. 

“There will be no letup in our campaign to hunt and deport all foreign fugitives who are hiding in the country.  We cannot allow the Philippines to become a refuge for these wanted criminals,” said BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco in a statement. —LDF, GMA Integrated News