Police in the Philippines suspect that at least eight people were involved in the recent killings of two Japanese men in Manila.

The victims were shot dead immediately after they got out of a taxi in the Philippine capital on August 15. Local police believe that two Filipino men they have taken into custody were involved in the shootings. One of the men is in his 60s. He is believed to have been serving as a tour guide in the taxi. The other individual is the man's brother. He is in his 50s and is believed to be the shooter.

On Thursday, the police released security camera footage that shows the moment the shootings occurred. It also shows the suspects fleeing the site on a bike.

Local plice say their analysis of the footage suggests that at least eight individuals, including the two in custody, were involved in the attack. They also say it was a premediated crime. They note that the suspects seem to have examined the crime scene beforehand.

The taxi driver who took the victims to the site spoke with NHK. He said after he drove the three individuals to the site the Filipino man told him that they were waiting for another person.

The driver also told NHK that the Filipino man was texting someone. He added that he heard two gunshots after the three men got out of the taxi.

One of the suspects reportedly told investigators that a Japanese mastermind offered him 9 million Philippine pesos, or roughly 160,000 dollars, to carry out the killings.

The local police are investigating the whereabouts of the other suspects. Meanwhile, police in Tokyo are conducting an investigation to determine the identity of the Japanese mastermind.

nhk