South Korean fraud suspect escapes from BI custody

On Wednesday, March 5, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed that a South Korean inmate named Na Ikhyeon escaped after attending a court hearing in Quezon City.

Na, who is wanted for alleged fraudulent activities in Korea and was arrested on May 31, 2023, managed to evade three BI personnel following his court appearance.

BI Commissioner Joel Viado ordered a manhunt and assigned a special tracker team to locate Na and regain custody, also investigating if his legal counsel knew about the escape. The bureau is preparing criminal and administrative cases against the escorts involved as part of a one-strike policy on erring employees.

Four contractual personnel have been terminated due to possible negligence, according to the BI, while the bureau is filing charges against those who may have aided Na in his escape.

Meanwhile, the BI reported the arrest of a Chinese man named Wang Zhouyu, 35, who is tagged as a money launderer for illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and has been detained pending deportation.