MANILA: The Philippines may hand over to Japan four men under detention including those believed to be the masterminds behind a string of robberies in Japan, all at once by Feb. 6, the country’s justice minister said Tuesday.

According to Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla, Philippine and Japanese authorities are discussing the handover of the four being held at an immigration facility in Manila, for whom Tokyo police have obtained arrest warrants over phone scams, before Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s scheduled Japan trip from Feb. 8.

Of them, Yuki Watanabe and Kiyoto Imamura, both 38 years old, are also suspected of acting as “Luffy,” the ringleader in the series of recent robberies in Japan.

Remulla denied that Philippine criminal lawsuits against three of the four will prevent them from being transferred to Japan, pointing out that the lawsuits were filed with intent to block the handover.

According to people familiar with the matter, detainees at the immigration facility can escape expatriation if they pay for bringing domestic criminal charges against themselves.

Initially, Remulla said his department would send back to Japan one of the four mem on Wednesday, and another on Friday.

JIJI Press