Immigration to deport Japanese fugitive for fraud, money laundering

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is set to deport a Japanese national wanted by Tokyo authorities for fraud and money laundering, the bureau said on Wednesday. 

Hiroyuki Kawasaki, 37, was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 on August 14  while he was about to board a Philippine Airlines flight to Singapore when an immigration officer detected a match in the bureau’s Interpol derogatory check system, leading to his arrest.

The immigration supervisors confirmed Kawasaki’s identity with the bureau’s Interpol unit, verifying that he was the subject of a red notice. 

The Japanese national was then added to the bureau’s watchlist in August after being charged with a deportation case for being an undesirable alien. 

The Japanese government also requested his arrest and deportation due to charges of falsifying official documents and committing financial fraud, according to Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco.

Kawasaki is accused of falsifying electronic records of notarized deeds, which he and his associates used to defraud several Japanese companies of their bank deposits. 

Additionally, Kawasaki allegedly created shell companies to siphon funds from legitimate corporations that engaged his services as an investment manager, according to Tansingco.

These shell companies were reportedly used to launder the funds that Kawasaki and his accomplices illegally withdrew from the victims' bank accounts.

Following his arrest, Kawasaki was detained at the bureau’s warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, where he is currently awaiting deportation.