South Korean wanted for drug trafficking arrested in Makati

INTERPOL | PHOTO: Official website of Interpol / interpol.int

MANILA, Philippines —  A South Korean, wanted by Seoul authorities and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for narcotics trafficking, was arrested in Makati last May 3, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

In a report on Thursday, BI identified the 29-year-old suspect as Maeng Juhwan, who was apprehended along Jupiter Street, Bel Air.

BI said Juhwan is likewise the subject of an Interpol red notice, which was issued last February 14. The notice indicates that an arrest warrant for violating Korea’s Narcotics Control Act was issued against him by the Chuncheon district court in October 2023.

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“Juhwan allegedly orchestrated the smuggling of Philopon, a residue of methamphetamine tagged as a commonly abused illegal substance in Korea,” the agency said.

“The contraband concealed in a snack bag carried by his accomplice was reportedly transported via international airports on two different occasions in September 2023,” it added.

Based on BI’s records, Juhwan had been overstaying in the country for almost two years, since August 23, 2023

The suspect is currently under BI’s custody in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, pending deportation proceedings. /mr