A series of robberies perpetrated in wide areas by a crime ring using people hired for “underworld odd jobs” has shocked Japan.

The rash of crimes traced to fraudsters operating from abroad has threatened peaceful everyday life and undermined the public's confidence in security in this nation.

It is baffling how so many young people were easily enticed into carrying out such crimes when they were offered dubious well-paid “odd jobs.” Law enforcement authorities should act swiftly to uncover all the facts about this group and its crimes.

At least 14 robberies have been committed in Tokyo and seven prefectures in the metropolitan area and the western Chugoku region since October, according to the National Police Agency.

On Jan. 19, a 90-year-old woman was found dead at her house in a residential area in Komae, western Tokyo, in a suspected murder-robbery case linked to the crime ring. As in other crimes suspected to be linked to the group, the perpetrators were hired through social media.

Police should review the investigations into the string of crimes committed in wide areas including the murder and publish an assessment of whether they were effectively coordinated and commanded.

The National Police Agency has obtained warrants to arrest four men believed to have masterminded these crimes as suspects of past crimes of a special type called “tokushu sagi,” or special fraud. Special fraud cases typically involve swindling money from elderly people through fraudulent phone communications.

The four suspected criminal ringleaders, who used such false names as “Luffy,” allegedly provided instructions for the crimes over mobile phones while being incarcerated in an immigration detention center in the Philippines.

If this is true, one big question is how they could command such bold criminal operations while being detained overseas.

A source from the immigration detention center in Manila has told The Asahi Shimbun that an inmate with deep pockets can live a comfortable life in a "VIP room" and use a mobile phone in the facility by bribing officials.

It is necessary for Japanese police to have the criminal quartet deported to Japan as soon as possible for interrogations and also disclose how local law enforcement authorities handled them.

These men are believed to have been leaders of a special fraud ring operating out of the Philippines. A total of 36 Japanese nationals were detained four years ago in connection with crimes committed by the group.

The group, which operated out of hideouts in the Philippines such as a deserted hotel, allegedly swindled a total of 3.5 billion yen ($26.9 million) out of victims in Japan, mostly senior citizens, through fraud operations using phones.

Were the investigations into the crimes linked to this fraud ring sufficiently rigorous and effective? It is possible that such fraudsters may have switched to more violent crimes of robbery. The number of special fraud cases has been trending upward again in recent years. It is essential to examine closely related issues.

More than 30 arrests have been made in connection with robbery cases allegedly linked to the crime ring led by Luffy and others. They are all young people--teens to thirty-somethings--including a member of the Self-Defense Forces.

Most of the suspects responded to recruitment social media posts, with some offering 1 million yen daily pay for “odd jobs.” They snapped up the offers knowing that they were “underworld jobs” apparently without thinking much about the possible consequences. Their rash and blind acts are disturbing.

Some of them were trapped in the crime ring as they showed their driver’s licenses and otherwise provided personal information about themselves and their families to the ringleaders, who used such information to intimidate them.

While uncovering facts related directly to the crimes, such as how the roles were divided among the suspects, investigators also need to delve into the social factors behind them.

These crimes have also underscored crime risks posed by a wired society. The perpetrators used a communication application that quickly deletes messages.

The NPA plans to widen the scope of designated illegal and harmful social media messages subject to regulation and urge website operators to delete such posts. Given that there are many underground websites operating from overseas locations, however, there are limitations to the effectiveness of such efforts.

It is vital for police to use lessons and information gleaned from the series of crimes to map out an effective strategy for dealing with cross-border crimes using the internet.

The Asahi Shimbun, Jan. 31