The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested a South Korean national wanted in Seoul for "involvement in financial fraud."
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the fugitive as 53-year-old You Hyun Tea, who was arrested in his residence at Cordova, Cebu last June 4 by operatives from the BI’s fugitive search unit (FSU).
You, who is undocumented due to the revocation of his passport by the Korean government, will be sent back to Korea as an order for his summary deportation was already issued by the BI board of commissioners back in 2021. He is currently detained at the BI warden's facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.
"He was arrested on the strength of a deportation warrant that was issued pursuant to the said deportation order. He was also included in our immigration blacklist which perpetually barred him from re-entering the Philippines," said Tansingco.
You entered the country on May 30, 2003, but he has never departed for the past 21 years. "This time we will make sure that this overstaying alien and wanted fugitive is deported to his country so he can stand trial and be made to pay for his alleged crimes," he said.
BI-FSU acting chief Rendel Ryan Sy said that a warrant for You’s arrest was issued by the Mokpo branch of the Gwangju district court on Feb. 15, 2020 after he was indicted for fraud and violation of Korea’s electronic financial transactions act.
Law enforcement authorities from South Korea alleged that You conspired with other suspects in running an illegal sports gambling website on the internet, and they exploited it to solicit money from victims who were promised huge profits and dividends on their investments. Their criminal activity yielded over 110 million won, or roughly $80,000.