FUKUOKA (TR) – Two men believed to be members of the Philippines-based crime syndicate JP Dragon have been arrested by Fukuoka Prefectural Police for suspected fraud following their deportation to Japan on Tuesday, reports KBC (Sep. 8).
Daisuke Ikeno, 51, and Daisuke Hamai, 53, both of unknown residence and occupation, are accused of targeting an 88-year-old woman in Gifu Prefecture in 2022.
According to police, the suspects impersonated police officers over the phone to swindle the elderly victim out of 1.4 million yen in cash.
Police have not disclosed whether the men admit to the allegations. Investigators are currently working to unravel the full operational scope of the JP Dragon crime ring.
In a separate crackdown, two female suspects belonging to a different fraud group were also deported from the Southeast Asian nation and taken into custody.
Riho Oi, 28, and Yu Sakuji, 31, were arrested on suspicion of attempted fraud after utilizing similar phone scam tactics.
Authorities have also withheld the pleas of both female suspects as the investigation continues.
