Korean fugitive falls

Immigration agents recaptured yesterday a Korean fugitive who escaped from detention a year ago days after he was arrested for involvement in human smuggling.

Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo identified the Korean as Ah Seok Joon, who was arrested in Cubao, Quezon City after 11 months of hiding.

Joon, together with another Korean identified as Park Jae Ho, escaped from the bureau’s custody sometime in July last year when they disappeared while out on a medical pass. He was recaptured in a safehouse along Arayat street in Cubao, Quezon City.

The escape prompted Domingo to relieve the bureau’s warden from his post and initiate criminal and administrative proceedings against him.

Domingo disclosed that Joon was believed to be one of the leaders of a human smuggling syndicate based in Manila which manufactures and sells Korean passports to Chinese nationals intending to travel to the United States.

Holders of Korean passports are not required to secure visas when entering the US mainland.

Joon, according to Domingo, is also wanted by police authorities in Seoul where he is charged with fraud.

Records showed that Joon, along with three other Korean leaders of the smuggling ring, was first arrested by immigration agents last year after a two-year operation in the cities of Makati and Pasig.

Investigation disclosed that the syndicate had been recruiting ethnic Koreans from China who intended to travel abroad who could not obtain travel documents through legal means. — Rey Arquiza