A South Korean citizen, wanted by Interpol and law enforcement in Seoul for leading a large-scale telecommunications fraud operation amounting to P70 million, was arrested by Bureau of Immigration (BI) agents in Pampanga.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado identified the fugitive as Choi Hojun, who was cornered at his home in Barangay Sto. Domingo, Angeles City, by the Bureau’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU).
Choi arrived in the Philippines on August 15, 2022, and has not departed since. A red notice from Interpol was issued in April 2024 following the release of an arrest warrant by a district court in Incheon, Seoul.
Viado said Choi had been hiding in the Philippines for over a year and a half to evade prosecution in South Korea, and was arrested based on a mission order issued following a formal request from the South Korean government.
“We will deport Choi immediately upon the issuance of his summary deportation order by the Board of Commissioners. He will likewise be blacklisted from re-entering the country,” he said.
Choi led a voice phishing syndicate that defrauded victims by illegally accessing sensitive banking information. The group is believed to have caused losses amounting to 1.73 billion Korean won, or roughly P70 million.