Korean fugitive who escaped prison in 2019 nabbed in Laguna

MANILA, Philippines — A Korean national, who bolted jail in 2019, was detained after a confidential informant told police of the foreigner’s whereabouts in Laguna province, police said Friday.

In a report, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Police Major General Debold Sinas identified the suspect as Park Wang Yeol alias Park Zanjo, who escaped jail guards in Tarlac City as he was supposed to attend an arraignment at the Regional Trial Court, Branch 64 in Tarlac City.

Sinas said Regional Intelligence Division (RID) Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG)-NCRPO, in coordination with RSOG, and Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU), Laguna Provincial Police Office (PPO), and Calabarzon police hatched the surveillance after an informant told them that the escapee was staying in a village in Sucol, Laguna on Oct. 27.

After continuous monitoring, operatives served the arrest warrant against Park in the said area on Oct. 28, Wednesday at 6:35 p.m.

Park is detained at RSOG NCRPO “pending the issuance of a commitment order and return of the warrant of arrest to the court of origin.”

Police records showed that the Korean suspect is a subject of an Interpol Red Notice with P300,000 reward in exchange for his arrest.

In 2016, Park was arrested by immigration agents in Parañaque City for allegedly killing his three compatriots on a sugarcane field in Pampanga. The bodies of victims Sim Tae So, Maeng Jung Yeon, and Park Young Pi were discovered with gunshot wounds in their heads and bruises on their bodies last Oct. 11, 2016.

Park was also facing a case of illegal possession of firearms in Tarlac.

A court also issued a hold departure order against him, banning him from leaving the Philippines due to his cases of three counts of murder in Pampanga.

JE