Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has captured a wanted South Korean national accused of running an online drug ring, in a coordinated raid at Clark Freeport, Pampanga last June 28.
According to a press release by the Bureau of Immigration agents from the BI Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) tracked and arrested 41-year-old Kim Soo at a resort inside the freeport zone. The bust came after intelligence sharing between Philippine and South Korean law enforcement.
A Joint Effort Across Agencies
The operation was not the work of a single unit. The BI-FSU teamed up with several partners to pull it off:
- Philippine Air Force (PAF), which supplied the intelligence that pinpointed Kim’s location
- Clark Development Corporation Public Safety Division
- South Korean authorities
BI-FSU Chief Rendel Ryan Sy said the tip from the PAF led directly to the fugitive’s arrest.
The Charges Against Kim
Kim is wanted by the Cheongju District Court in South Korea for violating his country’s Narcotics Control Act. Investigators say he ran a drug distribution scheme through the messaging app Telegram, where he advertised and sold illegal narcotics.
The products he allegedly peddled included cocaine and hemp cartridges. Payments, according to authorities, were collected through cryptocurrency, a method that makes transactions harder to trace. Kim is also the subject of an active Interpol Red Notice, marking him as a target for arrest worldwide.
Overstaying and Blacklisted
Immigration records paint a clear picture of Kim’s status in the country. He last entered the Philippines in April 2022 on a temporary visitor’s visa but never bothered to extend or fix his stay. That made him an overstaying alien.
He had already been flagged by the Bureau, landing on both its blacklist and watchlist as a fugitive from justice.
‘Our Borders Will Not Shield Them’
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado credited teamwork for the successful arrest and sent a warning to others hiding in the country.
“The success of this operation demonstrates the strength of intelligence sharing and operational cooperation among Philippine and international law enforcement agencies,” Viado said. “Foreign fugitives should understand that our borders will not shield them from accountability. Working hand in hand with our partners, we will continue to locate, arrest, and deport individuals who threaten public safety and attempt to use the Philippines as a hiding place.”
The arrest supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s push against transnational crime. Kim was booked and documented, then moved to the BI detention facility, where he now waits for deportation proceedings.