Two foreign fugitives wanted in their countries have been arrested in Manila during separate operations conducted by the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
They were identified by the BI as South Korean national Hyeong Jinwoo, 38, and Chinese national Guo Shangming, 45, who were arrested in Intramuros and Paco, respectively, last Tuesday, Nov. 7.
“The arrested fugitives' passports were revoked by Chinese and Korean authorities, and they are now considered as undocumented and undesirable aliens in the Philippines," the BI said.
It said that “Hyeong was tagged as a fugitive from justice by the Korean government with outstanding arrest warrants issued by the Suwon District Court for Fraud and Organization of Criminal Groups.”
“Hyeong was said to be a member of the MinJun Pa, a voice phishing syndicate based in Metro Manila that illegally operates as a financial institution falsely offering low interest loans in exchange for upfront payment of outstanding debts and processing fees,” it said.
It also said that “Hyeong has been hiding in the Philippines since 2018 and that his syndicate has defrauded almost P14 million from its victims.”
In the case of Shangming, the BI said that "he was reported by Chinese authorities for failing to repay his loan equivalent to more than P2 million."
“Shangming was also said to have overstayed his visa as he arrived in the Philippines in 2020,” it added.
Meanwhile, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco expressed the agency’s commitment to run after foreign fugitives.
"Do not make the Philippines your breeding ground for your crimes. Our agency will not take a rest until all of these felons are brought to justice," Tansingco said.