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Japan Times
15-07-2025
- Japan Times
23-year sentence sought for senior member of 'Luffy' crime ring
Public prosecutors on Tuesday sought a 23-year prison term for Tomonobu Kojima, a senior member of a Philippines-based Japanese crime ring that allegedly masterminded a series of robbery and fraud cases across wide areas of Japan. In their closing argument in a lay-judge trial at Tokyo District Court, the prosecutors said that the cases in which Kojima, 47, was involved by recruiting perpetrators served as the origin of a series of "tokuryu" crimes committed by loosely organized groups of anonymous members. "The cases have led to many copycat crimes, and the defendant should be punished severely," the prosecutors stressed. The defense said that 11 years in prison would be appropriate for Kojima. The court is scheduled to hand down a ruling on July 23. At the first hearing of his trial on July 1, Kojima, who belonged to the group whose members called themselves "Luffy," pleaded guilty to all charges that he faced, including aiding robberies resulting in injury and committing fraud. In their opening statement, prosecutors said that the defendant recruited perpetrators via X, formerly Twitter. They said he was also in charge of managing the group's criminal proceeds, playing an important role within the group next to Yuki Watanabe, 41, one of its leaders. The defense argued that, while Kojima was instructed by Watanabe, who had shouldered Kojima's debt arising from failed investment, to find perpetrators of planned robbery cases, he was not aware of the details of the plan and that his degree of involvement in the crimes was low. According to the indictment, the defendant introduced to the group between October and December 2022 perpetrators of robbery cases in Tokyo and Yamaguchi Prefecture. Kojima has also been charged with swindling some ¥54 million in cash. Watanabe and two other senior figures in the group have also been indicted on charges, including robbery resulting in death over a fatal assault on an elderly woman in a Tokyo suburb in January 2023. It remains to be seen when the first hearing of their trials will start.
Japan Times
04-07-2025
- Japan Times
Senior member of 'Luffy' crime ring pleads guilty at hearing
A senior member of a Philippines-based Japanese crime ring that allegedly masterminded a series of robbery and fraud cases across Japan pleaded guilty at the first hearing of his trial at the Tokyo District Court on Tuesday. Tomonobu Kojima, 47, who belonged to the group whose members called themselves "Luffy," said, "There is no mistake" regarding his charges of aiding robberies and committing fraud. Kojima, who became the first senior member of the group to stand trial, allegedly recruited perpetrators on X. The trial is drawing attention as it may uncover how tasks were assigned within the group and reveal the flow of criminal proceeds. A verdict will be handed down on July 23. Public prosecutors said in their opening statement that the defendant entered the Philippines around the summer of 2018, joining the fraud group organized by Yuki Watanabe, 41. Kojima, who managed crime proceeds, played an important role next to Watanabe, they said. Kojima allegedly recruited people on social media to carry out "shady" part-time jobs and gave the contact information of the perpetrators to other senior members of the group, the prosecutors said. According to the indictment, the defendant allegedly introduced to the group between October and December 2022 perpetrators of robbery cases including in Tokyo and Yamaguchi Prefecture. He also has been accused of swindling some ¥54 million in cash. Three other senior members of the group — Kiyoto Imamura, 41, and Toshiya Fujita, 41, in addition to Watanabe — have also been indicted. It remains to be seen when their trials will start.
