Mass Repatriation of Korean Criminals from the Philippines
Manila, Philippines/seoul, Korea – The South Korean National Police Agency (NPA) has successfully repatriated 49 major criminals from the Philippines in a single operation, marking the largest such instance of overseas criminal return from a single country. The individuals,accused of crimes ranging from voice phishing and fraud to gambling and financial offenses,were returned to Korea on March 3rd in cooperation with Philippine authorities.
The group included 25 individuals suspected of fraudulent activities, and suspects linked to illegal gambling operations. Othre charges included violations of foreign exchange laws, tax laws, and the Sexual Violence Punishment Act.
Among those repatriated was a 63-year-old man, identified only as “A,” who had been listed as one of the ‘100 important escape criminals’ in 2022.A, a former representative director of a domestic company, allegedly embezzled 20 billion won (approximately $15.3 million USD) in corporate funds in 2009 and fled to the Philippines 16 years ago.
The average age of the repatriated individuals is 39, with an average escape period of three years and six months. The youngest among them is a 24-year-old accused of involvement in voice phishing schemes.
The NPA estimates the financial damage caused by the crimes of these suspects to be substantial. Victims of fraud alone number 1,322, with losses totaling approximately 60.5 billion won (approximately $46.2 million USD). Of the 25 fraud suspects, 14 were involved in voice phishing, including both call center operatives and those in managerial roles.
Authorities also revealed that the gambling sites operated by the accused gamblers processed a cumulative betting volume of 10.7 trillion won (approximately $8.17 billion USD).
The successful operation was facilitated by close collaboration between the NPA and the Philippine authorities, including the dedicated Korean Desk within the Philippine Immigration Bureau and agents from the Philippine Immigration Pedestrian Team. This repatriation surpasses the previous record of 47 repatriations from the Philippines in 2017.
Upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, the suspects were transported under heavy guard – over 100 officers including counter-terrorism personnel from Dongdae (National Police AgencyS special operations unit).
“This repatriation is an example demonstrating that there is no place for overseas escape criminals,” stated Lee Jun-hyung, an international cooperation officer at the NPA.
Domestic inquiry and trial procedures will now commence for all 49 suspects.
[ⓒ 매일경제 & mk.co.kr, 무단 전재, 재배포 및 AI학습 이용 금지]
