THERE is no Korean mafia, just stinking Korean garbage.

There used to be Korean gangsters operating in Cebu but they were lone rangers, not members of an organized crime syndicate. And they have since been shipped back to Korea, according to the country’s police attaché.

I can believe that. If the Korean mafia did or does exist, why wasn’t there any mention of it until the Jee Ick Joo abduction happened?

The timing of the revelation smelt garbage. Its likely purpose was to deflect criticism from a police organization still reeling from the embarrassment of Jee’s murder while in police custody, by his police captors and inside a police camp.

Well, they failed in that regard. It was ridiculously easy to see through the ploy. The Cebu-based Korean mafia masterminding the killing of their compatriot? No, sir. Rogue cops did it, taking advantage of Operation Tokhang. That is why the police have been ordered to keep off the war against drugs.

Korean authorities need not fret therefore about a backlash from the mafia allegations on the Korean community in Cebu. We know better.

What they should worry about is the possible harm caused by the shameless attempt to dump their garbage here on their relationship with the Cebuano community.

We are a friendly, welcoming people. We have tolerated the Koreans even when some of them misbehave every now and then.

But do not abuse our hospitality by sending your waste to Cebu. As it is, we already have a problem disposing our own garbage. Don’t make it any worse for us.

Those who brought in those harmful plastic waste were most likely Cebuanos but they could not have pulled it off without the participation of people based in Korea.

Go find them, sirs.