BI to deport Japanese gang leader

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Friday that it is set to deport a man tagged as the leader of a notorious syndicate in Japan.

The bureau confirmed that 49-year-old Tomohiro Koyama is in their custody and currently detained at the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.

Recently, Tomohiro made headlines after he was named as the "number three" member of the mafia organization known as "JP Dragon." This group was alleged to have committed several violent crimes around Japan.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that last January, Tomohiro was first taken into custody by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) for violating Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Presidential Decree 1689 through Estafa.

He was said to have faced charges for violation of Section 11 of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

During his arrest, it was also reported that he had several firearms and ammunition, as well as suspected drugs.

Based on BI records, Tomohiro entered the country in 2019, and in 2020, after the bureau received information about his offenses from Japanese authorities, his name was added to the BI blacklist.

The Japanese government informed the BI that Tomohiro is wanted in Japan for theft and sought his deportation. He was then blacklisted as an undesirable alien, and an extensive manhunt was conducted, which led to his arrest by the CIDG and his eventual turnover to the BI in February.

News articles identified both Tomohiro and 55-year-old Takayuki Kagoshima as members of the “JP Dragon” syndicate. The latter was arrested by the BI’s fugitive search unit (FSU) on 4 March in Pasay City.