BI deports Korean wanted for fraud in South Korea

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Monday, it had deported a South Korean national wanted for a string of fraud and estafa cases in his country.

Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. said Yang Jung-zik, 61, was deported Monday last week, leaving aboard a Korean Air flight to Seoul.

David said Yang was deported three days after his arrest in Cebu City by operatives of the bureau’s fugitive search unit.

He said Yang was arrested at the request of the Korean embassy in Manila, which informed the BI about his criminal record.

According to David, the Korean was the subject of four outstanding arrest warrants issued by the southern district court of Seoul.

David said the arrest warrants stemmed from complaints filed by South Koreans who claimed they were swindled by Yang.

Lawyer Ma. Antonette Mangrobang, BI acting intelligence chief, said the complainants accused Yang of failure to repay the money he had borrowed from them, which collectively amounted to more than 400 million Korean won (about P14.8 million).

The complainants alleged that Yang promised to pay off his debts from the profits of his car business, which turned out to be nonexistent.

Mangrobang said that Yang was a fugitive in this country for more than seven years before he was caught and deported.

Investigation revealed that the Korean arrived in Manila on Jan. 9, 2005. There was no record of him applying for an extension of his tourist visa.