MANILA – A 61-year-old Japanese fugitive wanted for murder was arrested Friday in Quezon City.
Kenichirou Kobayashi was arrested while bringing his child to school in Bagbag, Novaliches, Quezon City, the CIDG Eastern Police District said.
CIDG-EPD chief Police Lt. Col. Dennis Rodriguez said a warrant of arrest was issued by Judge Phoeve Meer, Presiding Judge of Regional Trial Court Branch 275 in Las Piñas City, dated Jan. 22, 2018 with no bail recommended.
Kobayashi is wanted for allagedly killing two Japanese nationals in 2014 and 2015.
Rodriguez said Kobayashi allegedly masterminded the murder of his fellow Japanese for insurance claims and hired the Kirby Tan gun-for-hire syndicate to kill Shinsuke Toba, who was shot to death on Oct. 18, 2014 and Tatsuya Nakamura, who was also shot dead on Sept. 1, 2015 in Las Piñas City.
Tan was arrested in 2017.
“Allegedly, nagre-recruit siya ng mga Japanese national ini-insured niya, papatayin para maka-claim sila sa insurance. May nahuli na rin sa Japan na dalawang cohorts niya so siya rin ang itinuturo,” Rodriguez said.
(Allegedly he recruits Japanese nationals for insurance, then he kills them to claim insurance. His 2 cohorts who have been arrested in Japan also point to him.)
Rodriguez also said Kobayashi is facing cases of manslaughter and murder cases in Japan.
For months, CIDG-EPD conducted surveillance operations on Kobayashi until they received information that the fugitive was in Quezon City.
Source: ABS-CBN
