South Korean wanted on telecom fraud charges arrested in Pampanga

The Bureau of Immigration arrested a South Korean fugitive wanted on charges involving telecommunications fraud in Mabalacat, Pampanga, on Wednesday.

According to a statement by the BI on Thursday, Kang Hee Woo, 35, is allegedly a high-ranking member of the Youngjae-Han telecom fraud syndicate. This group is accused of defrauding its victims through voice phishing operations totaling more than 1,000,000,000 won, or around $740,000.

The suspect is currently the subject of a 2021 Interpol red notice and has outstanding arrest warrants issued by the Seoul Central District Court and the Seoul Dongbu Central District Court.

“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 in the Philippines. The long arm of the law will eventually catch you wherever you may be,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said.

Kang is awaiting his immediate deportation back to Seoul and has been placed on the bureau’s blacklist and banned from re-entering the Philippines. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News