Entry to RP of Yakuza chieftains foiled by BI

Immigration agents foiled Sunday night an attempt by 11 chieftains and members of the Japanese Yakuza crime gang to enter the Philippines with the help of a syndicate operating at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

At the same time, a Chinese, posing as an agent of the National Bureau of Investigation, was arrested yesterday while trying to facilitate the entry of three other Chinese with fake reentry permits.

The Yakuza gang members, who arrived on board separate flights from Narita, Japan, were escorted by two syndicate members, one of whom had pressured an immigration officer to admit them.

Sources said the Japanese have a meeting in Manila to assess their business activities which front for illegal operations such as illegal recruitment, trafficking of women and drug trafficking.

Forced yesterday morning to board a return flight to Japan were Nigimoto Hidenobi, 53, Nakamura Kengo, 61, Hatsutaki Shigeru, 54, Takashi Katunori, 54, Komukai Tokuo, 52, Asai Ekichi, 60, Yamada Yshio, 53, Tanaka Masaharu, 53, Fujiwara Ikuo, 42, Nagataka Kokichi, 42, and Natsume Takeshi, 53.

Most of the Yakuzas have been excluded before and their names were in the immigration black list for being members of the criminal syndicate, immigration authorities at the NAIA said.

Their bodies were heavily tattooed, indicating their ranks in the Yakuza, said immigration agents. – Rey Arquiza