Korean escapee recaptured

MANILA, Philippines — After a two-month manhunt, the Bureau of Immigration recaptured a South Korean who escaped from the BI Warden Facility in Muntinlupa on Jan. 1, authorities said yesterday.

Lee Jingyu was nabbed during an interagency operation along Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard in Barangay Tambo, Parañaque on Thursday.

The 32-year-old Lee is the subject of a summary deportation order for undesirability and listed under an Interpol red notice for drug smuggling, according to Rendel Ryan Sy, BI Fugitive Search Unit chief.

According to the BI, Lee had been on the run since Jan. 1, when he disappeared from the Warden Facility.

The agency said operatives, following intelligence reports, tracked Lee’s movements from Manila to Baguio and other nearby areas to evade authorities.

During Lee’s recapture, operatives encountered Korean In Jaesang, who allegedly acted as lookout and escort for Lee when he moved in public areas. In was arrested after failing to present a valid passport or immigration documents.

“No fugitive who undermines our laws and abuses our systems will find safety in this country. What he (Lee) did was a direct challenge to the bureau and we have answered it decisively. We will pursue, arrest and remove any foreign national who threatens public safety and national security,” said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado.

Lee and In are temporarily under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation while they face their deportation charges.

Meanwhile, the BI deported another Korean, Na Ikhyeon, who was arrested on May 31, 2023 at Clark International Airport for using a counterfeit Philippine passport.

Na is wanted in South Korea for involvement in deceptive investment schemes, with authorities saying he misled fellow Koreans into investing in non-existent accounts and withdrawing the funds for personal gain.