The Fukuoka prefectural police headquarters in the city of Fukuoka, Japan. Photo: Jiji Press
The suspects, including Miyako Iwamoto, 34, had been detained by Philippine immigration authorities in October 2025 before the arrests made by the southwestern Japan police Tuesday.
According to investigators, the five, then members of JP Dragon, allegedly posed as police officers in December 2022, called an elderly woman in Gifu, central Japan, defrauded her of 1.4 million yen and stole her cash card.
The latest arrests have brought the total number of apprehended members and related people to 14.
Investigators suspect that the group had illicitly obtained about 900 million yen from roughly 250 victims across some 20 prefectures since autumn 2019.
In a related case, the Philippine authorities detained alleged leader Ryuji Yoshioka, 55, in June 2025.
The Fukuoka police have obtained an arrest warrant on suspicion of theft and are seeking his extradition.
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