Korean arrested for duping victims into fake marriages

Police arrested a 40-year-old Korean national for duping three Filipino women, who suffered physical and sexual abuse, into a wealthy life through marriages with Korean men, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group said on Friday.

Members of the women and children’s protection unit of the CIDG nabbed on Thursday afternoon Jong Bam-lee along Polar Street in Barangay (village) Bel Air, Makati City, for violating antitrafficking and anti-mail-order bride laws.

Police Director Benjamin Magalong said Lee promised female victims marriage with Korean men but instead, they ended up working as slaves, with one victim sexually abused by her “husband.”

Magalong said one of the three women recounted that she “worked as a slave during the day” when she was brought to South Korea.

At night, the 23-year-old victim’s so-called husband would force her to have sex with him.

“The 23-year-old victim recounted that she received salary amounting to P500 a day, which was less than half of the salary promised to her by the suspect,” the CIDG said.

WCPU head Senior Supt. Rolando Anduyan said that women should be vigilant in their actions in dealing with persons who match them with foreigner men and give false information about the background of their future spouse.

Anduyan said that, more likely, faking a prospect husband’s profile would lead to abuse after marriage.

Meanwhile, CIDG detectives in Central Luzon region arrested another Korean national who was ordered deported by the Bureau of Immigration.

With the assistance of Korean police and the BI, police arrested Song Chul-ki at Hala Restaurant along Friendship Road in Barangay Anonas, Angeles City, Pampanga, by virtue of a warrant of deportation.

“My men are relentlessly combating crimes including the arrest of foreign nationals, that just this week alone, four foreign nationals were collared by the CIDG detectives with the help of other law enforcement agencies and foreign counterparts,” Magalong said. RC