NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents have arrested four Korean nationals in Cebu City for allegedly exposing local women to prostitution.
Wongun Ji, Dong Jun Lee, Jung Hyun Kim, and Gangil Jeung were arrested in two entrapment operations in Cebu City past 5 p.m. on Thursday.
The NBI said the Koreans operate the website, m.cafe.naver.com which offers tour packages in Cebu, but allegedly entices other Koreans to have sex with Filipinas for a fee.
A complaint for violating Republic Act 10364, or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012, will be filed against the four Koreans before the Cebu City Prosecutors’ Office on Monday.
The NBI seized laptops and computer sets in room 9A of Sentinel Condominium in barangay Banilad. Agents served a search warrant issued yesterday by Cebu Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Soliver Peras.
The computers will be subjected to forensic examination.
Reporters yesterday tried to interview the four suspects, who are detained at the NBI 7 stockade. They refused to speak and instead hid inside the detention facility.
The NBI is verifying the identity of a certain Peter Lim, who is the alleged local contact of the four Koreans in Cebu City.
Kelvin Tuadles, who introduced himself as a policeman and bodyguard of Lim, went to the NBI 7 office last Thursday evening to try to secure the release of the four Koreans released.
NBI 7 Assistant Regional Director Augusto Isidoro said they acted on the complaint of a Korean tourist who availed of a tour package in Cebu City from the group.
The Korean tourist, however, was surprised when he was offered the sexual services of a woman.
“The informant was bothered by his conscience so he lodged a complaint,” Isidoro said.
An entrapment operation was conducted at a hotel. The suspects were arrested after the Korean tourist paid US$150 to a woman, who was accompanied by Kim.
The woman will be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The law prohibits recruitment or offering a person for prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation.