A South Korean national, who is wanted in his country for telecommunications fraud, has been arrested in Lapu-Lapu City, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Saturday, Aug. 24.
The BI identified the fugitive as Kang Hyeunok, 32, who was arrested by the bureau's fugitive search unit (BI-FSU).
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said Kang was arrested on the strength of a deportation warrant issued by the BI Board of Commissioners in October 2021 when it ordered his expulsion from the country for being an undesirable alien.
Tansingco said that Kang had been overstaying in the country for more than four years already, as BI's records reveal that he last arrived in the country in July 2019 and has not departed since then.
He said that Kang is a subject of a red notice from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) due to a warrant of arrest issued by Suwon District Court in Korea on Sept. 13, 2019.
Kang's criminal operation involved a voice phishing syndicate since 2017 and the group has defrauded victims of more than $840,000, the BI said.
It said that Kang's telemarketers disguised themselves as bankers then lured victims into revealing personal bank information, which they will then use to defraud and gain illegal profits.
It also said that Kang is already an undocumented alien due to a canceled passport and he is currently detained at the BI's warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City while awaiting deportation.