A South Korean national wanted by Interpol and authorities in Seoul for orchestrating a massive telecommunications fraud syndicate was arrested by operatives of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in Pampanga.
BI-Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) chief Rendel Ryan Sy identified the fugitive as 36-year-old Choi Hojun, who was apprehended on April 14 at his residence in Barangay Sto. Domingo, Angeles City by members of his unit.
Records show Choi arrived in the Philippines on August 15, 2022 and has not departed since. A red notice from Interpol was issued in April 2024 following the release of an arrest warrant by a district court in Incheon, Seoul.
Sy said Choi had been hiding in the Philippines for over a year and a half to evade prosecution in South Korea, and was arrested based on a mission order issued following a formal request from the South Korean government.
The BI said it will deport Choi immediately upon the issuance of his summary deportation order by the Board of Commissioners. He will likewise be blacklisted from re-entering the country.”
According to Sy, Choi led a voice phishing syndicate that defrauded victims by illegally accessing sensitive banking information. The group is believed to have caused losses amounting to 1.73 billion Korean won, or roughly ?70 million.
The Korean is currently detained at the BI detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig pending deportation proceedings.
