THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested a suspected member of the notorious “Luffy” gang, linked to numerous theft and fraud cases in Japan.
In a statement released on Saturday, March 15, the BI identified the arrested suspect as Natsuki Kimura, a 33-year-old Japanese national.
Kimura was apprehended in Makati City on Friday, pursuant to an arrest warrant issued by the Board of Commissioners in March 2023.
Authorities reported that Kimura is one of several suspected “Luffy” gang members arrested in the country.
“Like her co-conspirators in the syndicate, she, too, will be deported, blacklisted, and banned from re-entering the Philippines,” said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado.
According to the BI report, Kimura and her accomplices impersonated police officers, coercing victims into surrendering their ATM cards and personal information.
Kimura is believed to have served as a telephone operator for the Luffy syndicate’s international operations.
Kimura is currently detained at the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, awaiting deportation procedures.
