The Philippines government has decided to deport the suspected ringleader in a string of robberies across Japan, a senior Philippine government official said Sunday.
The suspect, Yuki Watanabe, allegedly known as “Luffy,” has been detained at an immigration facility in the Philippine capital. Japanese authorities have been seeking his extradition in connection with the spate of robberies, including one that left a 90-year-old Tokyo woman dead.
The Philippine official said that the move could take the form of a deportation, though any decision to deport him ultimately rests with a Philippine court and there is a chance that an early deportation may not be possible. Japanese authorities are seeking the extradition of four suspects in total, including Watanabe and another man, Kiyoto Imamura.