Korean on Interpol list for drugs nabbed in QC

A Korean national wanted by the Interpol for international drug trafficking was arrested Tuesday morning in Quezon City after allegedly hurting his Filipino wife and taking their one-month-old son hostage.

Man Kwon Lee, 42, was nabbed at his house in Barangay West Fairview following a 13-hour standoff with police.

QCPD director Chief Supt. Richard Albano said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency had notified them of Lee’s inclusion in the Interpol watchlist.

According to the PDEA, Lee is a former casino financier with a standing arrest warrant issued by the Supreme Prosecutor Office of the Republic of Korea for allegedly trafficking in illegal drugs in his country and the United States.

The hostage-taking happened around 3 p.m. on Monday at Lee’s house which he shared with his wife, Diana Ross Young, and their son Ubin.

Fairview police station commander Supt. Dennis de Leon said the woman had gone to the QCPD headquarters in Camp Karingal on Sunday night to get help for her son, who was left with Lee. She also said her husband beat her up.

Police accompanied the woman to the Lees’ house, but upon seeing them, the suspect went wild and said he did not want to see other people apart from his wife. Lee even threatened to kill his son with a knife, according to the law enforcers, adding that they had to bring in another Korean to help in the negotiations.

Eventually, Lee agreed to put down his knife as long as his wife joined him, but she refused to do so.

This apparently irked the suspect, and at one point, he threatened to drop his son from the second floor of the house.

De Leon said his men and other QCPD operatives decided to wait it out until the suspect fell asleep, suspecting that he was under the influence of illegal drugs.

Around 4 a.m. of Tuesday, sensing that Lee was already fast asleep, policemen took the opportunity to slip inside the house to rescue the child and arrest the suspect.

Recovered from the scene was a sachet believed to contain “shabu,” a digital weighing scale, bundles of plastic sachets and two rolls of aluminum foil.

De Leon said Young had bruises on her face and arms, while her son appeared to be dehydrated after the 13-hour ordeal.

CIDU head Chief Insp. Rodelio Marcelo said Lee will be charged with serious illegal detention in relation to child abuse, illegal drug possession and violation of the law on violence against women.

He is now in the custody of the QCPD Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit.