Agents of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) have arrested a former South Korean police officer who was tagged as the head of a phishing syndicate that had victimized his compatriots of more than $100 million, or roughly P5 billion.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said Park Junghoon who is wanted in his country for telephone fraud was cornered in a street in Naga City with the assistance of the local police force.
The BI chief said Park is the leader of an Internet scam group with stations set up between 2012 and 2013 in the Philippines, Vietnam and China.
His two other lieutenants were earlier apprehended by the BI fugitive search operatives.
Records showed the syndicate lured their victims by pausing as loan officers of financial institutions.
It promised early approval of loan applications if they remit right away to designated bank accounts the registration and processing fees.
"The smashing of Park's syndicate is a big case in South Korea and we are happy to end it," said Morente.
The fugitive has outstanding arrest warrants issued separately by the district courts in the Korean cities of Seoul and Gwangju.