South Korean fugitive arrested after 5 years of manhunt

MANILA, Philippines — A South Korean national who is a fugitive in his country has been arrested after about five years of intensive manhunt and surveillance operations, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Thursday.

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the suspect as Kang Hee Woo.

According to the BI, Kang was ordered for summary deportation in 2018 after South Korean authorities informed them of his crimes.

It was also reported that since 2021, he has been the subject of an Interpol Red Notice, “a request to law enforcement authorities worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action,” as Interpol defined.

“It took almost five years of intensive manhunt and surveillance operations before we were able to arrest him. This serves as a warning to other foreign fugitives hiding out in the Philippines. The long arm of the law will eventually catch you, wherever you are,” Tansingco said in a statement.

The BI informed that the South Korean was arrested in Mabalacat City, Pampanga, on Wednesday by the elements of their fugitive search unit.

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The BI said he was indicted in South Korea for his involvement in telecommunications fraud.

The agency noted that Kang has separate arrest warrants from the Seoul Central District Court and from the Seoul Central District Court Dongbu, according to the Interpol National Central Bureau in Manila.

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The alien was accused of being a leading member of Youngjae-Han telecom fraud syndicate that allegedly defrauded victims of more than a billion won using voice phishing operations in Korea.

Kang is now being held at the bureau’s detention center in Taguig City, awaiting his immediate deportation, the BI said.

It added that he had been placed on the agency’s blacklist and banned from entering the country.

JPV