Authorities arrested two high-value Japanese fugitives linked to notorious transnational criminal syndicates during coordinated operations in Metro Manila last Thursday.

Benjamin Acorda Jr., executive director of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), announced the arrests Friday.

The operations were a joint effort by the Bureau of Immigration, the Philippine National Police, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The first suspect, identified as Sato Taiki, was apprehended at approximately 5 p.m. in Mandaluyong City.

Sato is an alleged member of the “Luffy Group,” a syndicate linked to more than 50 robberies across Japan between 2021 and 2023, including a high-profile Tokyo case that resulted in the death of a 90-year-old woman.

He was arrested under a 2023 deportation warrant and is wanted in Japan for theft.

At 6:20 p.m., authorities in Manila arrested another suspect identified as Masayuki Aoyagi, who is allegedly a key figure in the JP Dragon Syndicate. The group, largely composed of former Yakuza affiliates, reportedly uses the Philippines as a hub for “online workstations” to conduct telecommunications fraud. Intelligence reports suggest the group targets the elderly through social engineering schemes and impersonation of law enforcement.

“This operation highlights the strength of our intelligence-sharing and inter-agency coordination,” Acorda said. “We remain firm in our commitment to dismantle transnational criminal networks.”