THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced the arrest of two fugitives from South Korea who will soon be deported to face prosecution for alleged crimes committed in their homeland.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the aliens were arrested on Jan. 7 and 8 during operations conducted by members of the BI’s fugitive search unit (FSU) in Metro Manila and Cebu province.
“We will expel and ban them from re-entering the country for being undesirable aliens. The Philippines is not a sanctuary for wanted criminals,” Viado said in a statement.
Arrested along UN Avenue in Ermita, Manila was 59-year-old Choi Wonchul, an overstaying alien and subject of a red notice from Interpol.
Viado said Choi is also subject of an arrest warrant from a district court in Seoul where he was charged with embezzlement and fraud under South Korea’s criminal act.
Authorities charged that Choi worked as a car dealer in 2008 and pocketed approximately US$65,000 of the payments made to him by customers.
He also allegedly defrauded other victims of US$105,000 by falsely claiming he would sell their cars to interested buyers.
Subject was placed under the custody of PNP-MPD at Custodial Section, MPD Headquarters, UN Ave., Ermita, Manila pending the resolution of his local case.
Meanwhile, FSU agents also arrested in Talisay City, Cebu 47-year-old Lee Jihwan, who is also overstaying and subject of an Interpol red notice.
A warrant of arrest was issued against him in November last year by the Changwon District Court in after he was accused of beating a robbing a compatriot.
Lee and his accomplice allegedly attacked their victim with an axe and struck the latter in the head which resulted in multiple injuries.
He then threatened and forced his victim to transfer 10 million won, or roughly US$6,800, into his bank account while the latter was restrained with duct tapes.
