BI nabs 2 South Koreans wanted for illegal online gambling

Two South Korean high-profile fugitives wanted for their alleged involvement in illegal online gambling operations across Asia were recently arrested in separate operations in Metro Manila, the Bureau of Immigration said.

“These operations send a clear message: the Philippines is not a safe haven for foreign fugitives,” BI commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said in a statement.

“Through strong coordination with international law enforcement, we will continue to locate and apprehend those who think they can evade justice,” he added.

First to be arrested was a 38-year-old South Korean female fugitive on November 6 along Ayala Avenue in Makati City.

The female fugitive was allegedly behind 23 online gambling platforms, including websites that offered sports betting and casino-style games such as baccarat and Powerball.

The female suspect is facing an Interpol red notice issued in May this year, following an arrest warrant from the Incheon District Court for violations of South Korea’s National Sports Promotion Act, including running unlicensed gambling websites and laundering proceeds.

The BI’s Fugitive Search Unit said she oversaw recruitment, managed player accounts, and promoted websites that catered to thousands of bettors.

The female fugitive entered the Philippines in September 2021 as a temporary visitor but is already considered an overstaying alien. She is also listed in the BI’s blacklist and watchlist orders.

The following day, the BI-FSU arrested a 48-year-old South Korean male fugitive along Teodoro Evangelista Street in Parañaque City.

He is wanted by the Busan District Court and Eujeongbu District Court for allegedly setting up illegal gambling operations and violating South Korea’s National Sports Promotion Act. An Interpol Red Notice was issued against him in August 2025.

The male fugitive and his cohorts allegedly ran a website that allowed its users to place wagers on global sporting events. The website offered hundreds of games and processed winnings and payments.

The male suspect arrived in the Philippines on March 31, 2023 and is also an overstaying alien, apart from being tagged in the BI’s blacklist and watchlist orders.

Both fugitives were immediately brought to the BI warden facility in Taguig City for booking, documentation, and verification, pending deportation proceedings against them. — JMA, GMA Integrated News