Hitman in murder of 2 Japanese falls

MANILA, Philippines - A gun-for-hire was arrested in Las Piñas City on Friday in connection with the murder of two Japanese men in 2014.

Kirby Tan, reported to be an Army reservist, admitted to killing the victims following his arrest at his house in Barangay Pulang Lupa Uno, said Chief Inspector Romeo Lanzarote, who heads the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Southern Police District.

Two .45 caliber pistols, a fragmentation grenade and three magazines with bullets were recovered in his house.

Tan, 44, was arrested based on a search warrant issued by Las Piñas Regional Trial Court Branch 201 Judge Lorna Domingo for violation of Republic Act 10591, the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

Tan admitted to the murder of Tatsuya Nakamura and Shinsuke Toba, two Japanese who were killed in Barangay Almanza Dos on Sept. 1, 2015 and Barangay Manuyo Dos on Oct. 18, 2014, respectively.

Insurance

Lanzarote said Tan was hired by members of a Japanese syndicate who kill their associates in a business firm for insurance.

The syndicate’s modus operandi is to put up a company in the Philippines and hire Japanese as their partners.

“These incorporators are being killed because once they’re dead, the beneficiary would be the company,” Lanzarote said in a television interview.

The police official, in a text message, said Tan was implicated by four members of the syndicate, three Japanese and a Filipina, who were arrested in Japan.

“They executed extrajudicial confessions and admitted their participation in the killing of the two Japanese victims,” he said.

Aside from Tan, whom they said was the gunman in two murder cases, a Filipino identified only as Andrew was also part of their group.

Using the information, CIDG operatives were able to track down Tan’s exact address.

The CIDG is coordinating with the Japanese embassy to inform the families of the two victims for the filing of murder charges.