A South Korean fugitive wanted by Interpol for alleged money laundering was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) while attempting to leave the Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.
The BI said the 50-year-old suspect was intercepted at NAIA Terminal 1 on January 11 as he was preparing to board a flight bound for Hanoi, Vietnam.
Immigration officers flagged the foreign national during primary inspection after the BI system registered an Interpol hit. Further verification confirmed that the suspect is the subject of an active Interpol red notice.
A red notice is a request issued by Interpol to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a wanted person pending extradition or other legal action. Interpol, however, clarified that a red notice is not an international arrest warrant.
Authorities took the suspect into custody, and he is currently being held by the BI pending deportation proceedings.
Interpol records showed that the suspect was allegedly involved in money laundering linked to a goods-purchase fraud syndicate in South Korea. He allegedly deceived a victim by falsely promising a share in the profits of an online shopping mall, enabling him to obtain at least 22.55 million Korean won, or more than P900,000.
The suspect allegedly defrauded the same victim of a total of 140.75 million Korean won, or about P5.7 million, through 24 separate transactions. The offense falls under South Korea’s Criminal Act and carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
A warrant related to the case was issued by the Daegu District Court in July 2025.
The BI said the foreign national will also face charges for being an undesirable alien under Philippine immigration laws.
“This case shows how critical our coordination with Interpol and foreign counterparts is,” BI Commissioner Joel Viado said.
“We will continue to strengthen these partnerships to ensure that individuals facing criminal charges overseas are intercepted and dealt with in accordance with the law,” he added.
