Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 25) —A South Korean man wanted in his own country for being an alleged member of a big-time drug syndicate that smuggles illegal drugs into Korea from the Philippines was arrested in Cebu City, the Bureau of Immigration announced on Wednesday.
Authorities identified the suspect as Choi Sun Hyeok, 56, who was arrested Tuesday in Barangay Lahug by elements of the BI’s fugitive search unit (FSU).
The bureau cited the report of Interpol’s national central bureau (NCB) in Manila that said Choi is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the Changwon district court in South Korea, where he was charged with violation of his country’s narcotics control act.
“He will thus be immediately deported to Seoul after we have secured the necessary clearances for his departure,” Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement.
Tansingco said the FSU operatives went to Choi’s place with a warrant of deportation issued based on the 2017 order of BI board of commissioners.
“Investigators have established that this year alone, Choi’s accomplices in the syndicate managed to smuggle into Korea more than 265 grams of methamphetamine by concealing the drug in their underwear,” the BI said in a statement.
Choi’s passport was revoked by the Korean government, making him an undocumented alien in the Philippines, the BI also said.
He was also placed in the BI blacklist to prevent him from entering the country again, it added.
The bureau said he will be brought to the Taguig City BI detention facility.
