THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested a Japanese fugitive wanted in Tokyo for allegedly swindling a compatriot of nearly three million yen by means of voice phishing.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado identified the suspect as 39-year-old Yokota Tetsuya who was nabbed along Ongpin St. in Binondo, Manila by operatives from the BI’s fugitive search unit (FSU).
Viado said he issued a mission order for Tetsuya’s apprehension at the request of the Japanese government which informed the BI about the fugitive’s presence in the country.
“He will be deported after our Board of Commissioners has issued the order for his summary deportation. He will be placed in our immigration blacklist and perpetually banned from re-entering the Philippines for being an undesirable alien,” Viado added.
According to BI-FSU chief Rendel Ryan Sy, Tetsuya was the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant issued by a summary court in Omiya, Japan on May 31, 2024.
Authorities alleged that Tetsuya and his accomplices made phone calls to their victim and falsely informed the latter that transferring to another person the right to enter a nursing home is a crime.
As a result, they were able to entice to give them 2.75 million yen, or more than $17,000, in cash via postal mail.
Tetsuya is currently detained at the BI detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending deportation proceedings.
