Philippines deports Japanese wanted for arranging fake

marriages

Manila, Feb 10 (Kyodo) A Japanese national wanted inAichi Prefecture for arranging fake marriages between Japanesemen and Filipino women entertainers was deported from thePhilippines.

Yoshifumi Fujii, 49, took a Japan Airlines flight forTokyo escorted by Japanese policemen after PhilippineImmigration chief Ronaldo Ledesma signed is deportation order.

Fujii has a standing arrest warrant from a court inOkazaki for facilitating three cases of fake marriages fromApril to October 2009 "so that the Philippine entertainerscould acquire spouse visa in Japan," an Immigration documentsaid yesterday.

His involvement in the scam was discovered following thearrest in May last year of some of the couples.

To avoid prosecution, Fujii traveled to the Philippinesin April last year and stayed in the southern Philippine cityDavao.

Upon the request of the Japanese police, Immigrationauthorities apprehended him Jan 24 in Manila while he wastrying to extend his expired visa.

"In order to have a full picture of the fake marriagebusiness between (nationals of) Japan and the Philippines, itis necessary to arrest Fujii," Japan''s request to thePhilippines said. ((Kyodo)