令和5(う)246 組織的な犯罪の処罰及び犯罪収益の規制等に関する法律違反、窃盗、銃砲刀剣類所持等取締法違反、現住建造物等放火、非現住建造物等放火、殺人未遂(変更後の訴因 傷害)、殺人、殺人未遂

Between January and April 2023, a criminal ring calling itself "Luffy" orchestrated a series of home invasions, robberies, arsons, and murders across Japan from a base in the Philippines, using Telegram to direct local perpetrators. The most notorious incident was the robbery-murder of a 90-year-old woman, Kinuko Oshio, in Komae, Tokyo. Other crimes included a violent robbery in Oamishirasato, Chiba, where the perpetrators set fire to the residence, severely injuring a male occupant. The four key defendants, who acted as coordinators and commanders, were charged with multiple offenses including violation of the Organized Crime Punishment Act, theft, arson of inhabited and uninhabited structures, firearm and sword possession, murder, and attempted murder (later modified to bodily injury for one charge). The high-profile trial commenced in 2025 at the Tokyo District Court.

In March 2025, the Tokyo District Court handed down guilty verdicts. Yuki Watanabe and Makoto Imamura were sentenced to life imprisonment for their commanding roles. Tomonobu Kojima also received a life sentence, while Seiya Fujita was sentenced to 23 years in prison. The court recognized the systematic nature of the crimes and the defendants' significant responsibility.

Whether the defendants, who issued instructions from abroad without physically participating in the crimes, can be held criminally liable as co-principals for murder and arson under the organized crime law. The admissibility and sufficiency of digital evidence obtained from smartphones and encrypted Telegram messages. The appropriateness of the prosecution's mid-trial modification of a charge from attempted murder to bodily injury.

The case heightened public alarm over "anonymous and fluid" criminal groups using encrypted apps and exposed vulnerabilities in transnational crime prosecution. It intensified debate on holding remote commanders liable for extreme violence, sparked discussions on potential death penalty application for non-hands-on masterminds, and prompted the Japanese government to push for stricter regulations on mobile phone contracts and enhanced international judicial cooperation.