Two Japanese men currently detained in Manila are members of a criminal syndicate that organized a series of burglaries in Japan, Philippine authorities said Wednesday, adding that the "Luffy"-led ring was part of the syndicate.
Speaking to Kyodo News on condition of anonymity, a senior law enforcement officer who is familiar with the case said one of the men, identified as Tomohiro Koyama, is the "number three" man of the "JP Dragon" gangster syndicate, while the other one, Takayuki Kagoshima, admitted to being a member.
Koyama was one of the 10 fugitives, including an alleged ringleader Kiyoto Imamura, whom Japanese authorities requested in 2019 to be deported, the officer said. Imamura was suspected of using the pseudonym "Luffy" when remotely planning burglaries committed in Japan in 2022, Japanese police have said.