THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Sunday that a South Korean fugitive wanted for narcotics offenses and subject of an Interpol Red Notice was arrested in Clark Freeport, Pampanga.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado identified the suspect as Kim Soo, 41, who was arrested on June 28 by operatives of its Fugitive Search Unit at a resort inside the Clark Freeport Zone.
Kim is wanted by the Cheongju District Court in South Korea for alleged violations of that country’s Narcotics Control Act.
South Korean authorities accused him of operating a Telegram-based drug distribution network that allegedly sold cocaine and hemp cartridges and accepted payments through cryptocurrency.
The arrest resulted from intelligence-sharing between Philippine and South Korean authorities, according to Viado.
The operation involved the BI, the Philippine Air Force, the Clark Development Corporation Public Safety Division, and South Korean law enforcement agencies.
Fugitive Search Unit chief Rendel Ryan Sy said information provided by the Philippine Air Force helped authorities locate the suspect.
Immigration records show that Kim entered the Philippines in April 2022 as a temporary visitor but failed to extend or regularize his stay, which makes him an overstaying foreign national.
The BI said Kim had also been placed on its blacklist and watchlist as a fugitive from justice.
Following his arrest, the suspect was transferred to the BI detention facility, where he will remain pending deportation proceedings.
Viado said the arrest underscores the government’s continuing campaign against transnational crime and sends a message that the Philippines will not be a refuge for foreign fugitives.
