BI blacklists Korean for illegal gambling

MANILA, Philippines -  The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has blacklisted a Korean man wanted in Seoul for allegedly operating a multimillion-dollar illegal online gambling racket in Cambodia.

In a statement issued Friday, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said Jurng Wook Yi is no longer allowed to enter the country after his name was included in the bureau’s blacklist.

Yi arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 from Incheon last Feb. 11 but was sent back to South Korea, where he was put under arrest.

Yi was refused entry after “it was found that he was the subject of a red notice from the Interpol (since 2013) due to a criminal case that was filed against him in Korea,” Morente said.

On Aug. 28, 2013, a central district court in Seoul issued a warrant for Yi’s arrest. If convicted, he could be sentenced to three years in prison.

Information provided by the Korean embassy revealed that between December 2009 and November 2011, Yi reportedly colluded with several other suspects in opening thousands of illegal gambling websites in Cambodia.

The websites reportedly attracted thousands of avid gamblers. Through the websites, gamblers are able to watch blackjack and baccarat games played in several casinos the syndicate had established in the Cambodian capital.

South Korean investigators believe that Yi and his accomplices allegedly amassed profit of as much as 116 billion Korean won or about $101 million from their racket, wherein online gamblers bet an estimated 1.05 trillion Korean won or $914 billion.