A South Korean man involved in counterfeit currency trade and wanted for several criminal charges in Seoul was arrested by the Bureau of Immigration operatives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

In a report given to BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco, the BI Border Border Control and Intelligence Unit (BI-BCIU) identified the arrested passenger as Jang Junseok, a 26-year-old who was intercepted at NAIA terminal 1 last 7 April after attempting to depart the country via a Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight bound for Busan, South Korea.

According to the BI-BCIU, Jang was arrested after his name prompted a hit list in the BI’s derogatory, indicating that his name is the subject of a watchlist order from the bureau as well as a red notice issued by Interpol.

After he was off-loaded with his flight, Jang was immediately transferred to the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, while he awaited deportation procedures.

According to Jaime Bustamante, the head of BI-Interpol, Jang was charged with possessing and dealing in counterfeit currency, and as a pending warrant of arrest issued by Daegu district court in South Korea on 28 February 2024.

The South Korean authorities characterized Jang as a professional user of counterfeit currency who produced forged South Korean banknotes.

Accordingly, he spent them whatever he wanted to, and engaged in other activities that disrupted the social order.

He also reportedly has six prior convictions for the same criminal offense but was released on parole in 2023.

Allegedly Jang continued to forge bank notes when he was on parole, using a pseudonym to deceive his victims into believing he was buying real money at a higher price than he was.

More than 30 million won, or roughly $22,000 USD, was the purported worth of the currency notes he falsified.