PHILIPPINES (TR) – Authorities last week apprehended the head of Japanese crime group JP Dragon outside the capital Manila during a raid of the suspect’s birthday party, reports TBS News (June 6).
In security camera footage taken on June 4, local investigators raid a restaurant at a resort in the province Pampanga where the birthday party for Ryuji Yoshioka, 55, is being held.
As investigators surround the table of Yoshioka, he remains seated. He then hugs his family as investigators place him under arrest.
JP Dragon is believed to have been involved in a type of fraud classified as tokushu sagi (“special fraud”), which is carried out on the telephone. The group is also connected to the so-called “Luffy” fraud ring, which was behind a number of high-profile robberies in Japan.
Japanese police have already obtained an arrest warrant for Yoshioka. They plan to request his extradition from the Philippines.
JP Dragon
JP Dragon is a criminal organization of Japanese gangster-affiliated fraud and theft groups operating in the Philippines.
The group became famous for its involvement in the robberies carried out by the Luffy group. In 2019, JP Dragon also helped Luffy escape when their specialized fraud base was discovered by the Philippine authorities.
The group was formed in the Philippines more than 10 years ago by a former Yamaguchi-gumi gangster. It is mainly active around the capital Manila.
Most of the members are former yakuza members or quasi-members. It operates like a full-fledged criminal syndicate. As such, JP Dragon members are forced to have JP Dragon tattoos on their hands.
Members engage in activities that include gambling on cockfights and collecting protection money from local Japanese people. They also commit special fraud crimes in Japan from bases in the Philippines.
