Philippines to Extradite 2 Japanese Detainees Tues.

Tokyo, Feb. 6 (Jiji Press)--Two of the four Japanese detainees in the Philippines who are believed to be linked to a series of recent robberies in Japan are set to be extradited to Japan ahead of the other two, Philippine Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told reporters on Monday.

The two, Kiyoto Imamura, 38, and Toshiya Fujita, 38, are expected to be handed over to Japanese authorities on Tuesday morning and sent back home later in the day.

A court in Pasay, Metro Manila, meanwhile, may issue decisions Tuesday on cases filed against the two remaining detainees, Yuki Watanabe, 38, and Tomonobu Kojima, 45, informed sources said. They had said the court might dismiss the cases on Monday, but it did not do so.

Cases against Imamura and Fujita had already been dismissed, paving the way for their extradition.

On Monday, a total of 16 Japanese police and other officials left Narita International Airport near Tokyo for the Philippines shortly past 6 p.m. (9 a.m. GMT) to take the suspects into custody.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]