Nine out of the 36 Japanese arrested for alleged telecommunications fraud in November last year were deported to Japan on Monday.

The nine Japanese left the Bureau of Immigration Detention Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa around 6:50 am and arrived at the Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport around 7:16 pm Monday.

The Japanese suspects identified as Irie Dai, Ishii Kyogo, Hamaoka Kantaro, Maeyama Takuto, Tanaka Kazuya, Yoshida Takeshi, Murata Seiichi, Kouki Shouji, and Imizumi Ryo were on board two vans.

The Japanese suspects were on board two vans wearing ordinary clothes and slippers accompanied by two Immigration officers each.

Before the suspects’ arrival, around 20 Japanese police officers arrived in the terminal around 6:45 am.

In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said they were flown to Narita Airport, Tokyo at 9:40 am aboard a Japan Airlines flight.

Morente said this is the first batch of suspects to return to Japan while the Japanese embassy has yet to procure plane tickets of the remaining 27 who are still detained at their detention facility.

The 36 Japanese were arrested in Makati City last November 13.

According to BI, they found out all arrested foreign nationals are members of an organized crime group involved in telecom fraud and extortion where they reportedly victimized at least 1,393 Japanese nationals resulting to 2 billion yen estimated cost of damages.

Earlier, a summary deportation order was issued by the three-man BI Board of Commissioners against the 36 Japanese, thus paving the way for their eventual return to Japan.

The board also directed they be included in the bureau’s blacklist of undesirable aliens to prevent them from re-entering the Philippines.

In two-page order, the board chaired by Morente said being fugitives the Japanese should be expelled from the Philippines as their continued presence here poses a risk to public interest.

According to Morente, the schedule for the deportation of the others remaining at the BI Detention Center in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig has yet to be finalized. Ella Dionisio/DMS