Three South Korean fugitives, who are wanted in their country for alleged various crimes, have been arrested, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced on Friday, Oct. 4.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado identified the three fugitives as Kim Hyungju, 45, Oh Suhong, 46, and Kim Hyojoong, 44. Their passports had been revoked by the Korean government.
Viado said all three are currently detained at the BI detention facility in Taguig City and will be immediately deported once the BI Board of Commissioners issue the orders.
“They have been placed in our blacklist of undesirable aliens, thus they are perpetually banned from re-entering the Philippines for being undesirable aliens,” he said.
The BI said the bureau’s Fugitive Search Unit (BI-FSU) arrested Hyungju in Angeles City last Sept. 14 at the request of the Korean government.
“A warrant for his arrest was issued by a Korean court where he was accused of being a member of a voice phishing syndicate that allegedly defrauded its victims of more than 100 million won, or more than $74,000,” it said.
Also on Sept. 14, the BI-FSU arrested in Angeles City Oh who is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by a Korean court where he is facing charges “for violating his country’s game industry promotion act.”
“Authorities alleged that sometime in 2021 Oh illegally acquired 40 units of game console which he installed for online betting by his customers,” said the bureau.
The BI-FSU caught in Taytay, Rizal last Sept. 19 Kim who is wanted for fraud.
“Kim allegedly earned 73 million won from 23 victims whom he had duped by promising to process their visas while he was employed at the Canada immigration support center in Seoul,” said the BI.
“The Korean national police agency also reported that Kim is subject of criminal complaints for blackmail and kidnapping,” it added.