Almost 3 months after escape, 2 South Koreans rearrested in Tarlac

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Tuesday announced the recapture in Tarlac of two South Korean fugitives who escaped from detention almost three months ago.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the foreigners were rearrested Saturday in a joint operation conducted by agents from the BI intelligence division and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Rearrested after three months of hiding are Park Wangyeol, and Jung Jaeyul, both 38 years old. They escaped BI’s detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig last March 6.

READ: 2 Koreans in BI cell punch hole to freedom

Morente said informants helped the arresting agents trace the whereabouts of the suspects who were arrested in a raid on their apartment on Macabulos Street, Barangay (village) San Pablo, Tarlac City.

“I have instructed our deportation unit to immediate arranged their flight back to Korea so they can be tried and punished for their crimes,” Morente said.

He added that he has instructed the BI warden to assign men who will guard the duo 24 hours a day until they are deported.

Authorities suspected that Park and Jung are members of a criminal syndicate involved in gun-for-hire and swindling activities that prey on their compatriots in the Philippines.

Park, in fact, is the subject of an Interpol red notice due to his alleged involvement in the murder of three Koreans in Pampanga last year.

BI intelligence officer Jude Hinolan, a member of the arresting team, reported that the aliens were armed when arrested.

Hinolan said his team recovered from the duo a caliber .38 revolver, bullets, fake identification cards, and several credit cards in the names of other Korean nationals.IDL