BI nabs 3 Taiwanese, Korean for extortion, drugs

MANILA, Philippines — Three Taiwanese and a South Korean citizen were arrested recently by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in separate operations for alleged extortion and illegal drug-related crimes.

Acting BI Fugitive Search Unit chief Rendel Ryan Sy said Lee Choong Ho, 63, was nabbed in Bacoor City, Cavite.

Lee is reportedly the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the Daegu district court in South Korea where he was charged with extortion for allegedly receiving 9.6 billion won or almost $7.4 million from a compatriot through intimidation and violence.

On March 1, Taiwanese Wu Jheng Long, 34, who is wanted by a district court in Kaohsiung, Taiwan for telecommunications fraud was nabbed along Amorsolo Drive in Makati.

Two other Taiwanese nationals, Chen Chien Ning, 53, and Yang Zong Bao, 31, were arrested in a follow-up operation on Calumpang street in Makati.

According to the BI, Chen and Yang were believed to be members of a drug ring in Taiwan. The fugitives are also reportedly involved in kidnapping.

The foreigners are being held at the BI detention facility at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig pending their deportation.

“They will be blacklisted to prevent them from re-entering the Philippines. We will not allow our country to be used as a refuge for wanted foreign criminals,” Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said.