BI agents nab Korean wanted for telco fraud

The Bureau of Immigration said it is poised to deport a South Korean fugitive wanted by authorities in his country for involvement in telecommunications fraud.

In a report to Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente, the Bureau’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) identified the fugitive as 48-year-old Song Chaehyok, who was arrested on Thursday, inside a luxury condominium suite in Taguig City.

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The arresting agents were reportedly armed with a warrant of deportation from Morente who issued the same pursuant to a summary deportation order that the BI Board of Commissioners issued against the said South Korean in 2018 for being an undesirable alien.

It was also learned that as a result of the deportation order, Song was placed in the immigration blacklist which perpetually bans him from re-entering the Philippines.

According to BI-FSU Acting Chief Rendel Ryan Sy, Song is subject of an Interpol red notice that was issued by the Interpol in 2018 after he was charged with fraud before a district court in Jeonju, South Korea.

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Sy said a warrant of arrest was also issued against Song by the said court where he is accused of being an member of a syndicate that engages in voice phishing to defraud its victims.

BI agents nab Korean wanted for telco fraud

Information obtained from the Interpol’s National Central Bureau in Manila disclosed that in 2015 to 2016, Song and his cohorts operated their scheme, making random calls to their victims in Korea.

The victims were allegedly enticed to remit their money to the syndicate’s bank accounts as the phone callers pretended that they were bank officers soliciting investments from the public.

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It is estimated that the syndicate’s earnings from the racket amounted to 5.8 billion KRW, or roughly more than US$4.6 million.

Song is currently detained at the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending his deportation.

Last week, BI also arrested two South Koreans wanted by authorities in their country for telecommunications and financial fraud.

In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Jaime  identified the captured fugitives as Lee Choungeon, 43, and Kim Seongku, 45, who were arrested in  during separate operations by members of the BI Fugitive Search Unit (FSU).

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