THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) agents arrested last Wednesday 12 South Korean fugitives wanted in Seoul for their involvement in online fraud.
BI commissioner Jaime Morente on Friday identified the fugitives as Noh Heamin, Park Jeongho, Kim Sun Jang, Lee Hyanglim, Yoon Daseul, Kim Sunghoon, Jeong Miseon, Park Mingyu, Park Youngju, Park Hyunmyeung, Park Chanju and Lee Hyunho.
Morente said BI agents were sent to Century City, a residential building in Poblacion, Makati, after they were tipped off by the South Korean embassy that the suspects were hiding there.
r"Their embassy has confirmed that all 12 of them are subjects of arrest warrants issued by various Korean courts where they have been charged with large-scale fraud," Morente said.
Information provided by embassy officials said that the fugitives were involved in an online fraud scheme that has victimized Korean nationals living in the Philippines and in South Korea. They allegedly lured their victims to invest in their bogus real estate projects in the Philippines.
BI Legal Division chief Arvin Santos said the suspects are now undergoing deportation proceedings. They will be placed under BI's blacklist once the BI commissioners issue a summary deportation order against them. (SunStar Philippines)