TWO South Korean fugitives have escaped from a Bureau of Immigration (BI) detention facility located within the New Bilibid Prison, prompting a large-scale manhunt. The BI identified the escapees as Lee Jingyu, 32, who is wanted for drug smuggling, and Yang Heejun, 44, who is wanted for burglary and theft.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado stated, “Yang has a deportation case for being an undesirable and undocumented alien… We will not stop until they have been located so they can be made to face their crimes.”
The escape was discovered during a routine inspection when a rope tied to the ward gate was found. The facility was immediately placed under total lockdown as a thorough search was conducted.
The BI is coordinating with the Bureau of Corrections and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and Commissioner Viado has appealed to the public for assistance in locating the fugitives.
