BI starts deportation hearing for 12 South Korean fugitives

Bureau of Immigration INQUIRER PHOTO/ ALEXIS CORPUZ

Deportation proceedings are underway for 12 South Korean nationals arrested on Wednesday for operating an alleged online business scam that defrauded several of their countrymen.

Those arrested were identified 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.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the South Koreans were arrested on May 17 following an operation conducted by intelligence agents of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the Gramercy Residences, Century City, Poblacion, Makati City.

Morente said the South Korean Embassy in Manila sought the BI’s help in locating the 12 fugitives who became the subjects of arrest warrants issued by different courts in South Korea.

“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,” the BI chief said.

“They are now undergoing deportation proceedings as they have been charged with undesirability for being fugitives from justice and posing risk to public safety and security,” said lawyer Arvin Santos, BI legal division chief.

Information provided by Korean Embassy officials alleged that the fugitives were involved in an online fraud scheme that preyed on unsuspecting Korean nationals living here and in Korea.

The suspects, who were accused of duping several Koreans on the internet, would lure their victims into investing money in bogus real estate projects in the Philippines.

Morente said he issued the mission order authorizing the BI agents to conduct the operation after intensive surveillance and tips from informants established the fugitives’ presence inside the plush residential building.

BI officials said the Koreans will be deported as soon as the BI board of commissioners issued the order for their summary deportation. Morente said the suspects will be placed in the bureau’s blacklist to prevent them from reentering the Philippines. JPV/rga