The suspected ringleader of a group that committed violent crimes across Japan and recruited members via social media posts offering "dark" part-time jobs was arrested Thursday on suspicion of robbery.
The Metropolitan Police Department believes that Kiyoto Imamura, while based in the Philippines and using the alias "Luffy," issued instructions to the perpetrators of a robbery committed in Kyoto last year. Imamura, 39, was deported from the Philippines in February and had been arrested in connection with a fraud case.
At least 60 people have been arrested for committing the string of brutal crimes that shocked Japanese society, with victims being assaulted in some cases and even killed, but Imamura is the first alleged ringleader to be arrested. The MPD will investigate the possibility that Imamura could have issued instructions to commit other crimes.
