Philippine authorities arrested two Japanese nationals linked to the Luffy Group robbery syndicate and the JP Dragon fraud network in coordinated operations across Metro Manila on April 16, 2026, according to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).
In its April 17, 2026 advisory announcing the arrests, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission confirmed that the joint operation was carried out by the Bureau of Immigration’s Fugitive Search Unit, the Philippine National Police Intelligence Group, the PAOCC itself, and elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, detaining two subjects already carrying outstanding warrants of deportation.
Mandaluyong arrest — Sato Taiki, alleged Luffy Group member
Agents took Sato Taiki into custody in Mandaluyong City shortly after 5 p.m. The Bureau of Immigration confirmed that Sato was the subject of a warrant of deportation dated March 28, 2023. In its arrest advisory, Philippine authorities identify him as an active member of the Luffy Group — the Japanese criminal enterprise linked to more than 50 robberies across 14 Japanese prefectures between 2021 and 2023, including a Tokyo case in which a 90-year-old victim was killed.
Multiple high-ranking Luffy members faced deportation from the Philippines in early 2023. Sato’s arrest places him in the same enforcement line.
Manila arrest — Masayuki Aoyagi, alleged JP Dragon operative
About 6:20 p.m. the same day, a second enforcement team took Masayuki Aoyagi into custody in Manila. Aoyagi is subject to a warrant of deportation dated October 25, 2023, and Philippine law enforcement identifies him as an operator within JP Dragon — a transnational syndicate built by former members of Japanese yakuza organizations that now runs telecom-based fraud schemes targeting elderly victims in Japan and elsewhere.
Statement by PAOCC Executive Director Undersecretary Benjamin C. Acorda Jr.
Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Executive Director Undersecretary Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. said in the commission’s April 17 advisory that the operation “highlights the strength of our intelligence-sharing and inter-agency coordination. We remain firm in our commitment to dismantle transnational criminal networks and protect both our citizens and our international partners.”
Next steps — deportation to Japan
Both suspects have been transferred to the Bureau of Immigration Warden Facility pending formal deportation. Processing requires identity verification and coordination with Japanese diplomatic personnel, after which both men are expected to be returned to Japanese custody to face criminal charges in their home country.
Primary sources: Philippines arrests two Japanese fugitives linked to ‘Luffy’ group, fraud syndicate — Philstar, April 17, 2026; PAOCC statement reporting — Pilipino Star Ngayon, April 18, 2026.