A fugitive South Korean wanted in his country for alleged telecommunications fraud and illegal drugs trafficking has been arrested in Marinduque, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Friday, Feb. 9.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the foreigner as Sim Dongwoo, 43, who was caught last Tuesday, Feb. 6, by operatives of BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (BI-FSU) in Buenavista, Marinduque.
“We will deport Sim Dongwoo immediately so he could face trial for the crimes he allegedly committed,” Tansingco said.
"Sim was already included in our blacklist and perpetually banned from re-entering the Philippines," he said.
He also said that Sim was arrested pursuant to the summary deportation order issued by the BI board of commissioners over three years ago.
Based on information received from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), the BZi said “Sim became the subject of an Interpol red notice even before a warrant for his arrest was issued by the Seoul central district court in July 2021.”
“Sim was reportedly charged with fraud before the said court for being a member of syndicate that defrauded its victims of more than 58 million won, roughly US$44,000, by means of voice phishing,” the bureau said.
“Furthermore, authorities also alleged that Sim and his accomplices also peddled illegal drugs by smuggling from Manila into South Korea 200 grams of methamphetamine drug called ‘Philopon’ in September last year,” it said.
“The syndicate is suspected of having a total of more than a thousand grams of methamphetamine in five different occasions from August to December 2023," it added.