Escapee South Korean fugitive, 'cohort' arrested after 5 days of hot pursuit -- BI

A South Korean fugitive, who escaped last March 4, and his compatriot who is suspected as cohort were arrested in Angeles City on Sunday morning, March 9, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said. 

In a press conference, BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado said Na Ikhyeon, the escapee, and Kang Changbeom, the suspected cohort, were arrested in a residential area in Barangay (village) Pampang in Angeles City.

BI Commissioner Viado (right) during a press conference on Sunday, March 9. (BI photo)

Viado said: "We found that  Kang aided Na in his escape as evidenced by the CCTV (closed circuit television) footage and other intelligence information that we have gathered.”

“Verification with the Korean national police agency also revealed that Kang is also a fugitve wanted in Korea for fraud,” Viado also said. 

"Both of them will be transferred to our facility in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig but special arrangements will be made for increased security as they are tagged as high-risk detainees with intent to escape," he added. 

Viado said the operation to arrest Na was done through the joint efforts of the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit and Intelligence Division in coordination with the City Intelligence Unit of Police Station 4 Angeles City, the Regional Special Operations Unit Police Regional Office 3 (PRO 3), the Philippine National Police (PNP) Intelligence Group, and the Naval Intelligence and Security Group Northern Luzon.

Na, who is wanted in South Korea for fraud, was arrested by the BI at the Clark International Airport in 2023 after being caught using a fake passport.

The South Korean escaped last March 4 after attending a preliminary investigation of an estafa case he is facing before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.

Na has been charged with estafa by a Filipina jeweler who claimed he did not turn over the proceeds of the sale of several pieces of jewelry.

Viado said the three BI personnel who escorted Na to Quezon City claimed that the Korean escaped after using the rest room near the Prosecutor’s Office.

“Pero nung nagtanong-tanong po kami sa mga gwardiya sa paligid ng Office of the City Prosecutor lumalabas na itong si Mr. Na ay sumakay sa isang sasakyan ng BI kasama po ‘yung tatlo (But when we asked guards near the Office of the City Prosecutor we learned that Na boarded the BI’s vehicle along with the three personnel),” he disclosed.

“Doon na po nag-umpisa ang pagtatanong at base din sa isang testimonya ng isang taong kasama n’ya nalaman ho namin ang ibang detalye ng pagtakas (That’s when we started asking questions and, based on the testimony of one of their companions, we learned the details of the escape),” he added.

He disclosed that the BI escorts took the Korean at a bar in Quezon City where he was allowed to leave.

He pointed out that under BI regulations, “dapat ho ‘yan pagkalabas deretso na sa pinanggalingan sa detention facility namin (the Korean should have been immediately returned to the BI detention facility after the hearing).”

At the same time, Viado said all the three BI personnel -- a permanent employee and two contractual employees -- have been dismissed and criminally charged before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for their involvement in Na's escape. 

He said "the two contractual employees have been terminated right after the escape while the case of the permanent employee has been elevated to the Department of Justice.”

“We received an update from the Department of Justice that last Friday DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla released the termination of the third employee involved in this incident,” he added.