Makati: A Japanese fugitive sought by Tokyo authorities for his involvement in phishing scams has been arrested in Makati City, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported Sunday. Eiji Shigematsu, 48, was apprehended by the BI-Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) in Bel-Air Village on Friday following a mission order issued after receiving information from the Japanese government.

According to Philippines News Agency, BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado stated in a press release, ‘We will deport him and he will be blacklisted and banned from reentering the country.’ A review of Shigematsu’s travel records revealed that he had been overstaying in the Philippines since his last recorded arrival on October 18, 2019.

BI-FSU chief Rendel Ryan Sy noted that Japan’s Kajiki Summary Court had issued an arrest warrant for Shigematsu on charges of theft. Shigematsu and his accomplices were accused of orchestrating a voice phishing scam targeting fellow Japanese nationals. The suspects allegedly impersonated police officers to extort money from their victims.

Although not associated with the infamous Luffy gang, authorities suspect that Shigematsu operated a similar scheme on a smaller scale. The Luffy group is a notorious Japanese criminal syndicate known for conducting telecommunications fraud and extortion schemes in the Philippines.

Shigematsu is currently detained at the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, while awaiting deportation proceedings.