OPERATIVES of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested in Cebu last Friday three South Korean nationals wanted by authorities in their country for robbery.
In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the three fugitives as Han Jungwoo, 37, and Jo Woongje, 36, and Lee Chihoon, 25, who were arrested in Talisay City on May 3 by elements from the BI’s fugitive search unit (FSU).
Tansingco said the Koreans are all subjects of red notices issued by the Interpol due to arrest warrants that were issued against them by a Korean court.
Said warrants were reportedly issued last January by the eastern district court in Seoul after cases of robbery were filed against them by authorities.
According to Rendel Ryan Sy, BI-FSU acting chief, the suspects were accused of using sophisticated instruments such as tracking devices and surveillance cameras to secretly monitor their victims and obtain their passwords and personal information.
The data obtained were then used by the suspects to breach security in the homes of their victims which they burglarized and robbed of properties worth more than 4.5 million won, or roughly US$3,300.
The three were later committed to the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City where they will remain pending deportation proceedings.
Tansingco said that as a consequence of their arrest, the fugitives will be placed in the BI blacklist and banned from reentering the country.