BI recaptures South Korea fugitives

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has recaptured two South Koreans who escaped from the agency’s detention facility last March.

The men were captured in Tarlac province last Saturday, after escaping from the Taguig City detention facility on March 6.

In a statement, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente named the men as Park Wangyeol and Jung Jaeyul, both 38, and wanted for murder and fraud, respectively.

The men were recaptured by operatives of the BI Intelligence Division and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Morente confirmed.

The BI recovered a .38 caliber revolver, bullets, fake identification cards and several credit cards in the names of other South Koreans from the two men.

Morente said informants helped the arresting agents trace the men to an apartment on Macabulos street in Barangay San Paolo, where they were captured.

Morente said he has also instructed the BI warden to assign staff to guard the duo 24 hours a day until they are deported.

Authorities suspected that Park and Jung were members of a criminal syndicate involved in contract killing and swindling and prey on their compatriots in the Philippines.

Park is also the subject of an Interpol red notice due to his alleged involvement in the murder of three Koreans in Pampanga last year.