South Korean fugitive wanted for telecom fraud nabbed in Pampanga —BI

A South Korean fugitive wanted in his country for alleged involvement in telecommunications fraud was arrested by authorities in Pampanga. 

Operatives of the Bureau of Immigration fugitive search unit (BI-FSU) apprehended suspect Lee Seul Ki, 37, in his residence at the Clark Freeport Zone in Angeles City, the BI said in a post on social media. He is now detained at the BI facility in Taguig while awaiting deportation proceedings.

According to the BI-Interpol, Lee is subject to an arrest warrant issued by the central district prosecutor’s office in Seoul and Nambu district court in February 2017. The suspect is accused of being a member of a voice phishing syndicate who posed as a police officer or financial advisor in making calls to victims who were duped into revealing their personal bank data. 

The scheme reportedly enabled Lee to transfer the victims' money to his bank account, where he earned over 178 million Korean won or nearly US$130,000. 

Lee arrived in the Philippines in May 2016. His passport was canceled by the Korean government, making him an undocumented alien.

“We will send him back to Korea after our board of commissioners has issued the order for his summary deportation. We will then include him in our blacklist to prevent him from re-entering the Philippines,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said. — Sundy Locus/BM, GMA Integrated News