TOKYO: The Foreign Ministry on Wednesday (June 3) issued a passport surrender order for Kazuhiko Masuda, 48, who is wanted in connection with a May 14 robbery-murder in Kaminokawa, Tochigi Prefecture, that left one woman dead and two members of her family injured.
Police have issued a public wanted notice for Masuda, whom they suspect of having orchestrated the crime, including issuing instructions to other perpetrators via a secure messaging app.
On May 17, three days after the incident, the suspect is believed to have departed from Narita Airport for China, and he may have subsequently fled to a Southeast Asian country.
If Masuda fails to comply with the order by the June 24 deadline, his passport will be revoked, and his presence in the country where he is hiding will be considered illegal. - The Yomiuri Shimbun
