MANILA, Philippines — Authorities arrested seven Japanese nationals allegedly linked to a criminal fraud syndicate operating in Japan during separate operations in Bulacan and Manila, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the suspects were members of the “JP Dragon” syndicate, which Japanese authorities have tagged for large-scale fraud operations targeting elderly victims. The suspects were arrested by agents of the bureau’s fugitive search unit (FSU).

Five individuals—identified as Hiraki Ishikawa, 45; Tsubasa Amano, 30; Sasaki Ken, 37; Akira Sambonchiku, 26; and Naoto Matsumoto, 35—were apprehended in a residential area along Quirino Highway in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

Two others—Rintaro Yamane, 27, and Masato Morihiro, 37—were arrested at a condominium on Adriatico Street in Ermita, Manila.

The suspects are accused of involvement in a syndicate that defrauded Japanese senior citizens by impersonating authorities and coercing victims into surrendering ATM cards and bank information under the pretext of police investigations.

According to BI-FSU chief Rendel Ryan Sy, a summary court in Fukuoka, Japan issued arrest warrants for six of the suspects on March 5 in connection with theft charges.

Matsumoto, meanwhile, was found to have overstayed his visa, the BI said.

The arrested individuals will remain in BI custody pending deportation proceedings