(File photo)
MANILA – A South Korean fugitive and a Liberian wanted for extortion and sex crimes are facing deportation for being undesirable aliens, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported on Friday.
Commissioner Norman Tansingco said South Korean national Choe Young Sam, 45, and Liberian national Abundo Nual Johnson, 35, will be deported after they were nabbed in separate operations by the bureau's Fugitive Search Unit in the cities of Mandaluyong and Taguig on Jan. 9.
“They will subsequently (be) deported and placed on our blacklist of undesirable aliens to prevent them from re-entering the country. Their presence here poses a serious risk to public safety,” he said in a statement.
Based on information provided by the South Korean government to the BI, Choe has a standing arrest warrant issued by the Chuncheon District Court last year for cases of aggravated punishment, economic crimes, and embezzlement.
He is also the subject of a red notice from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) issued in October last year for these charges.
South Korean authorities alleged that Choe and his accomplices embezzled over 4.6 billion won, or more than USD3.4 million, worth of medical reimbursements when he headed a financial team of South Korea’s national health insurance program in 2004.
Meanwhile, information from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) showed that Johnson locked up a Filipino woman in his apartment and sexually assaulted her.
The victim, whose identity was withheld, also stated in her verified complaint that Johnson extorted over PHP100,000 from her.
The BI's investigation also revealed that Johnson is already an overstaying alien in the country as his student visa already expired in July last year.
Choe and Johnson will remain under the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the NCRPO, respectively, pending their deportation to their home countries. (PNA)
