Korean fugitives arrested in Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines — Three South Koreans wanted in their country for operating illegal gambling sites online have been arrested in separate operations conducted in Metro Manila, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Monday.

Kim Hee-chul, 36, was arrested on Nov. 8 in Parañaque City while Seo Min, 30, and Kim Yong-su, 45, were apprehended inside their condominium unit in Diliman, Quezon City.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said all three Koreans were taken to the BI’s detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, where they would remain until their deportation.

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“They will also be placed in our blacklist of undesirables to make sure they won’t be able to come back to the Philippines,” Viado added.

According to BI’s fugitive search unit, Kim Hee-chul, who is also wanted by Interpol, is the subject of an arrest warrant issued in May 2021 by the Jeonju district court in Korea for opening and operating an online gambling site since 2014 along with other suspects.

He was also accused of receiving gambling funds, converting these into cryptocurrency and distributing winning dividends based on online betting results.

The two other Koreans are suspected of being mid-level managers of an online gaming syndicate allegedly responsible for training and managing new employees and overseeing the illegal operations of over 23 online gambling sites.

The operators of the websites reportedly raked in profits of roughly $1.4 million from their illegal activities. —Jane Bautista