A South Korean fugitive who escaped government custody on New Year’s Day was rearrested Thursday night following a two-month manhunt, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced Friday.
The suspect — identified as Lee Jingyu — was apprehended along Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard in Barangay Tambo by operatives from the bureau’s Fugitive Search Unit and the National Bureau of Investigation.
Lee had been missing since 1 January, when he disappeared from the BI Warden Facility in Muntinlupa City.
Authorities said Lee is the subject of a summary deportation order and is listed under an Interpol Red Notice for alleged drug smuggling. Intelligence reports indicated he moved between Manila and Baguio to evade capture.
During the operation, agents also arrested In Jaesang, another South Korean national who allegedly served as Lee’s lookout and escort. In failed to present a valid passport or immigration documents.
“Lee’s escape prompted intensified tracking efforts by the agency and its partner units,” BI commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said. He cited that the bureau would continue to pursue foreign nationals facing deportation.
Lee and In are currently in NBI custody pending deportation proceedings. Lee’s fellow escapee, Yang Heejun, was previously recaptured on 14 January.
In a separate development, the agency reported the deportation of Na Ikhyeon, who was wanted in South Korea for alleged investment fraud. Na was deported on an Asiana Airlines flight from Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1.