BUREAU of Immigration (BI) operatives have arrested four South Koreans wanted by authorities in Seoul for involvement in telecommunications fraud.
In a report to Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente, the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) said the alien fugitives were arrested on Thursday, in the Cities of Mabalacat and Taguig.
Arrested along CM Recto Highway in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga was Won Jinchul, 40, for being an undocumented alien and a risk to public safety and security.
According to Morente, Won is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office for committing fraud.
He was allegedly a member of a voice phishing syndicate in Korea that defrauded their compatriots by pretending to be a police officer or a bank employee.
It was reported that during their racket, which was said to have lasted from May 2013 to June 2014, Won earned over 177 million KRW or P7.4 million.
Also arrested on same date were three other Korean fugitives. Shim Jae Yong, 28; Kwon Hyunil, 32; and Cha Jun Young, 25, were arrested in a condominium in Brgy. Bambang, Taguig City.
BI-FSU Acting Chief Rendel Ryan Sy said that Shim is subject of a warrant of deportation from the BI issued in October this year.
His name is included in the Interpol Red Notice, and he has an outstanding warrant of arrest for fraud issued by the Suwon District Court in South Korea September 6, 2019.
He is allegedly a member of a telecom fraud syndicate engaged in voice phishing that operated in Manila since January 2017, and which defrauded many Koreans of more than 990 million KRW or P41.9 million.
Cha, on the other hand, is a fugitive reportedly involved in the same scheme. He was said to have earned over 18 billion KRW or P762 million from 2018 until 2020.
During the operation against the duo, arresting agents came across Kwon in the same vicinity.
Upon verification with Korean authorities, it was confirmed that Kwon also has a pending warrant of arrest for fraud, issued by the Goyang branch of the Uijeongbu District Court on June 11, 2019.
“These illegal aliens have no place in our country,” said Morente.
“Their nefarious activities will not prosper here, as we are intent in locating, arresting, and deporting these wanted criminals,” he stated.
The four will be temporarily held at the BI’s Detention Center in Bicutan, Taguig City.
