The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Thursday reported the arrest of a South Korean national who is wanted for being a fugitive in his country. He was charged with engaging in telecommunications fraud.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the arrested fugitive as 35-year-old Kang Hee Woo, who was arrested last Wednesday in Malabacat City, Pampanga by the BI Fugitive Search Unit (BI-FSU).

Tansingco said that Kang would be sent back immediately to Seoul as an order for his summary deportation was already issued by the BI Board of Commissioners in 2018 after the South Korean authorities informed the Bureau about his crime.

The BI chief added that it took almost five years of extensive manhunt and surveillance operations before they were able to locate and arrest him. This will also serve as a warning to other foreign fugitives hiding in the country.

Tansingco also said that Kang is also the subject of an Interpol red notice that was issued in 2021.

According to the Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES), Kang was the subject of two separate warrants of arrest issued by the Seoul Central District Court and Seoul Dongbu Central District Court against him for alleged involvement in telecom fraud.

I-PROBES added that Kang was accused of being a ranking member of the Young Jae-Han telecom fraud syndicate, which the Korean authorities believed to have defrauded victims of more than one billion won, or roughly US$740,000.

The syndicate allegedly conducted voice-phishing operations on its victims in Korea by calling them at random.

The Korean fugitive is currently being held at the Camp Bagong Diwa BI Warden Facility in Taguig City while awaiting his deportation. His name was also included on the BI's "Black List," banning him from re-entering the country.