By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Six South Korean fugitives are now behind bars after they were apprehended in separate operations conducted by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in the cities of Muntinlupa and Pasay.
In a statement, BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said five of the six alien fugitives were arrested last Nov. 16 during a raid of their residences in Alabang, Muntinlupa City by operatives from the bureau’s fugitive search unit (FSU).
They were identified as Ha Doogyun, 25; Kim Jung Ho, 25; Lee Sunyeob, 25; Kim Taemin, 26; and Yun Songwook, 22. They are subjects of red notices issued by the Interpol after they were criminally charged for fraud before the Seoul district court, citing charges related to their involvement in a cryptocurrency investment scam.
Authorities alleged that the Koreans have been running a large-scale fraud syndicate that operates a bogus cryptocurrency website that has lured hundreds of victims to invest over four billion Korean won, or about US$2.9 million, in purported investment projects since 2023.
In an earlier development, Viado also announced the arrest of another Korean fugitive who is wanted for larceny.
Park Sukil, 57, was arrested Nov. 15 by FSU operatives at the Newport Mall along Newport Blvd., Pasay City. He was already ordered deported by the BI in February 2015 for being an undesirable alien, after stealing construction materials worth more than 2.2 million Korean won, or roughly US$1576.
All six Koreans are currently detained at the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City while awaiting their deportation. (with report from Louisa Erispe/PTV News)
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