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BI nabs telco fraud kingpin

Philippines | National

BI nabs telco fraud kingpin

By Jun Ramirez

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced on Sunday, Oct. 9, the arrest of a South Korean wanted by authorities in Seoul for alleged involvement in a multi-million-dollar telecommunications fraud case.

In a report to Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco, the BI’s fugitive search unit (FSU) identified the fugitive as 33-year-old Lee Won Ho, who was arrested last September 21 at his residence in BF Tahanan Village, Parañaque City.

The FSU operatives who arrested Lee were armed with a warrant of deportation pursuant to a summary deportation order that the bureau’s board of commissioners issued against the Korean four years ago.

BI-FSU chief Rendell Ryan Sy said the Korean was issued an arrest warrant by the Incheon district court in Seoul, Korea for fraud and that the his passport was already revoked.

Lee was tagged as a high-ranking member of the so-called Minju Family, a big-time telecom fraud syndicate operating in Manila.

Sy said the syndicate has defrauded Koreans based overseas of over US$21 million.

Lee is now detained at the BI jail in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig pending his deportation.

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