Bureau of Immigration (BI) operatives have arrested two South Korean nationals wanted by their government for illegal drugs and telecom fraud.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said 39-year-old Lee Dongju and 40-year-old Sim Kyuchul were caught by members of the fugitive search unit (FSU) of the bureau in a hotel at the Clark Freeport in Mabalacat, Pampanga.
Morente said he issued a mission order for the duo’s arrest upon the request of the South Korean embassy.
FSU chief Rendel Ryan Sy said Lee has been hiding in the country since May 2019, after the Suwon District Court in South Korea issued a warrant of arrest for selling methamphetamine drugs to his clients.
On the other hand, Sim is wanted by the Cheongju district court since 2017 for defrauding his compatriots of more than 5 million won, or US$4,300.
The Interpol’s office in Manila tagged Sim as a member of a telephone fraud syndicate based in Qingdao, China that operated from January to September 2015.
Sim and his cohorts allegedly made calls to their victims in South Korea who were duped into giving their debit card numbers in exchange for non-existent jobs advertised online by the group.
Lee and Sim will remain at the BI’s warden facility in Taguig City pending deportation.