Bureau of Immigration (BI) operatives arrested a South Korean fugitive wanted in Korea for illegal drug trading.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente identified the fugitive as 43-year-old Lee Jungkuk, who was arrested by members of the BI’s fugitive search unit (FSU) in Bgy. Cauyan, Angeles City, Pampanga.
“He will be deported for posing risk to public safety and security, being a fugitive from justice wanted for illegal drugs,” Morente said. “He will then be placed in our blacklist to prevent him from re-entering the Philippines,” he added.
According to the BI chief, Lee is the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant issued by the Cheongju district court in South Korea five years ago after he was charged for trading and administering psychotropic drugs.
If convicted, Lee could be sentenced to 10 years in prison for violating his country’s narcotics control act.
He is presently detained at the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending deportation proceedings.
BI-FSU acting chief Rendel Ryan Sy said that the Korean is already an overstaying alien as records show that he last arrived in the country on July 2, 2015. Lee is an undocumented alien due to the revocation of his passport by the South Korean government, the BI said.
