The alleged mastermind behind a series of robbery cases nationwide is a Japanese national sending instructions via smartphone from an immigration detention center in Manila known for its lax security.

Filipino Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told Kyodo News on Thursday that the alleged ringleader, who is said to have gone by the name “Luffy,” was arrested in the Philippines in 2021 and is being held at the immigration facility in Manila.

Another Japanese national suspected of being part of the robbery group is being held at the same facility and will be deported to Japan as soon as the necessary paperwork is completed, he said.

Japanese police are also asking for these two people and two other Japanese nationals allegedly involved in the burglaries to be transferred to Japan. Investigators in Japan say the four are members of an international organized crime group based in the Philippines specializing in fraud, and arrest warrants have been issued over charges of theft.

The latest news marks a major development in the robbery cases, which appear to involve an intricate operation that saw recruitment of foot soldiers through social media, communication using a high-security smartphone app and threats against rank-and-file members to keep them quiet in the event of arrest.

One of the biggest mysteries is the identity of the mastermind behind the crimes, including whether it’s one individual or several. Orders came from Luffy — the same name as the main character of the “One Piece” anime — “Mitsuhashi,” also a popular manga character, and "Kim."

So far, more than 30 people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in at least 20 robbery cases in 14 prefectures since last year, according to the National Police Agency.

But they are all rank-and-file members who allegedly committed the home burglaries but were not aware of the entire operation. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, they responded to posts on Twitter soliciting yami baito, loosely translated as shady part-time jobs, for quick and large amounts of cash.

Drivers were paid ¥800,000 (about $6,150), while robbers were paid about ¥1 million, the report said. Once involved in the operation, communications were made via the Telegram smartphone app, on which encrypted messages can be set to automatically disappear after a certain period of time, it said.

Recruited members would be forced to send the leaders a picture of their driver’s license along with information on their family members — apparently to prevent them from leaving the group and keep them quiet.

“I couldn’t leave because I was afraid (the group) would hurt my family, since I told them who I was and who my family members are,” one of the arrested suspects was quoted as saying to investigators.

Another suspect was told to remain silent if he was arrested. “If I talk, Luffy may purge me,” he said, according to police.

Seven men have been arrested over a home burglary case in Inagi, western Tokyo, in October, in which they allegedly robbed about ¥35 million worth of cash and gold bars and injured a woman who lives there.

Investigators started seeing connections with other robbery cases, one of which was in Komae, Tokyo, where a 90-year-old woman was found murdered at her home.

Information from Kyodo added