Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) on Monday evening arrested a Korean fugitive who is facing charges of fraud in South Korea.
Hae Sung Kim, 57, reportedly evaded trial on accusations that he pocketed a total of US$500,000 (P23.6 million).
Arnel Pura, NBI-7 Special Investigator, said they received a request from Yong Sang Lee, consul and police attache of the Consulate of the Republic of Korea, on July 25 to look for Kim.
After thorough investigation, the NBI found out that Kim was residing in an apartment in Barangay Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City.
A team of NBI-7 agents led by Pura went to the apartment and arrested Kim at about 9 p.m. Kim did not resist arrest, Pura said.
Kim was presented by the NBI to the media yesterday afternoon.
Based on the data of the Bureau of Immigration, Kim arrived in the country on Aug. 4, 2003. He was admitted as a non-immigrant “tourist” and was supposedly allowed to reside in the Philippines for just 21 days.
But Kim decided to stay in the country for almost 13 years as an “undocumented alien.” Sought for comment, Kim said he has been staying in Cebu for eight months. He refused to elaborate and didn’t answer other questions from the media.
“We need to process his deportation and will bring him back to South Korea,” said Pura.
Kim is the second Korean fugitive who was arrested by the NBI agents in Cebu. Last July 14, the NBI also arrested Chong Choul Choi who did not attend the promulgation of his case and instead flew to Cebu where he hid for a year.
Choi, who was engaged in bank loan management in South Korea, purportedly forged the signature of his wife and brother-in-law to claim close to 256 million Won or P10.6 million from Livestock Cooperatives’ Geumam Branch in the late 1990s.
On May 30, 2015, Choi was convicted to a jail term of one year. He flew to the Philippines two months before the verdict was issued.