THE Bureau of Immigration BI announced the arrest of two South Koreans wanted by authorities in Seoul for fraud and drug pushing.

In a report to Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente, the BI’s fugitive search unit identified the alleged fraudster as 36-year-old Noh Kyungwoo, who was arrested last Tuesday along F.B. Harrison Street, Pasay City, Metro Manila.

The other fugitive, who is wanted for illegal drugs, was identified as 53-year-old Kwon Soonho, who was arrested the next day at the Hall of Justice bldg. in Angeles City, Pampanga.

Both aliens were arrested on the strength of a mission order issued by Morente and they are now detained at the BI detention facility in Taguig City pending deportation proceedings.

Morente hailed the arrest of the two fugitives, adding that despite the pandemic “there has been no letup in our intensified campaign to go after foreign fugitives who are hiding in the country to evade prosecution and sentence for their crimes.”

According to the FSU, Noh is subject of an arrest warrant issued in April 2014 by the Daejeon district court in Korea where he was charged with fraud.

Noh allegedly used fictitious names to swindle a compatriot who lost more than 59 million won or roughly US$50,000 by using the personal information of the victim buying and reselling cars in the online car sales business.

“We also learned that last Nov. 12, Manila International Airport Authority [MIAA] policemen intercepted arrested Noh for falsification of public documents but he was reportedly released on bail on the same day,” said BI-FSU acting chief Rendel Ryan Sy.

As for Kwon, Sy said an arrest warrant was issued against the former by the Seoul central district court in June 2019 after he was charged for trading and administering psychotropic drugs in violation of his country’s narcotics control act.

“Both of them are already overstaying and undocumented aliens as their passports were already revoked by the Korean government,” Sy added.

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Willy M. Balasa