BI deports 47 Korean fugitives wanted for fraud, drugs

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has deported 47 South Korean fugitives wanted for internet fraud, illegal drugs and assault in their country.

BI spokeswoman Atty. Antonette Mangrobang said that the 47 deportees were arrested in separate operations by the bureau’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) across the country.

“Most of the deportees are wanted in Korea for swindling and internet fraud, including voice phishing, while two of them are wanted for assault and physical injuries and one for illegal drugs,” Mangrobang said in a statement on Tuesday.

The spokeswoman added that seven of the fugitives were also overstaying Koreans who voluntary requested that they be deported.

They were deported last Dec. 14 and were turned over to Korean authorities upon their arrival at Incheon International Airport in South Korea, according to BI Commissioner Jaime Morente.

She said 45 of the deportees boarded a flight at Ninoy Aquino International Airport while two others, who were arrested in Cebu, were flown from Mactan International Airport.

“All of them were expelled pursuant to deportation orders issued by our board of commissioners and they were all placed in our blacklist of undesirable aliens to prevent them from re-entering the Philippines,” Morente said.

The BI chief said that the deportation orders were issued as the bureau was decongesting its detention facilities in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.

Morente said some of the deportees have been “overstaying” in their cells even if there were no more legal impediments to their deportation.

“We have secured the necessary clearances to make sure that they have no pending civil and criminal cases before our courts,” Morente said.