PNP chief presents 3 South Korean fugitives
Police on Monday announced the arrest of three South Korean nationals facing fraud charges.
Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa identified the suspects as Yong Ho Jeon, 32; and couple Yang Sum and Yang Myung Ock Yep.
Dela Rosa said Yong was arrested last March 25 at the Milano Residences at Century City in Makati City while the Yang couple were arrested in La Trinidad, Benguet last March 29.
He said Yong is a subject of an Interpol Red Notice for allegedly swindling 6 billion won from victims in Korea. A warrant for his arrest was issued last July 22, 2016 by the Jeonju District Court in Korea for fraud with a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment
Dela Rosa said that Yong is an alleged member of a group that established a call center in Korea sometime in 2015. The group offered loans involving large sums of money with low interest to their unsuspecting Korean victims, including companies.
The group obtains their victim's account information through text message for virtual transaction records for loan application and then asks for the victim's credit card account.
Dela Rosa said that according to Korean authorities, the group was able to collect a database of 751 credit card accounts and 487 personal information from 538 victims. The group used the database in pretending to be staffs of a Korean financial institution and collected and received money as requirement for the processing of loans of their unsuspecting victims.
The group operated from June 10, 2015 to July 8, 2016.
Dela Rosa said Yong fled to Manila in 2015 with three other members of the group. They stayed somewhere in Malate where they again operated a telephone scam and conducted extortion and protection racket activities.
Police said Yong and his group is connected to a larger Korean group engaged in extortion, kidnapping, contract killing, protection racket, and other criminal activities.
Yong transferred to the Milano Condo residences with his Korean wife and mother in January.
Police, meanwhile, said that Mr. Yang was also wanted for three counts of fraud. His wife, meanwhile, was arrested for violation of the country's immigration laws.
Dela Rosa said they are already coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration, Department of Foreign Affairs and the Korean embassy. —ALG, GMA News