The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said its operatives have arrested three South Korean nationals wanted by authorities in their country over illegally operating gambling online.

 

In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente identified the arrested fugitives as Kim Jisoo, 31; Park Seunghoon, 37; and Kwon Yoseob, 33.

 

Operatives of the bureau’s fugitive search unit (FSU) arrested the three on September 6 at the Clark Freeport in Angeles City, Pampanga.

 

The arrest was conducted following Morente’s mission order after South Korean authorities informed the bureau of their presence in the Philippines, their status as fugitives and the ongoing revocation of their passports, the BI said.

 

BI FSU Chief Rendel Sy for his part said the three foreigners are facing arrest warrants issued last July 31 by a district court in Busan, South Korea over violation of their home country’s game industry promotion act that penalizes illegal gambling.

 

Information from the bureau said that the three Koreans conspired to create an online exchange server called “chong-al-money” where they would operate gambling activities. “Customers would gain or lose money by betting on the movement or fluctuation of foreign exchange rates,” the statement further read.

 

If the convicted, the three may be meted with more than five years of imprisonment and told to pay 40 million Korean won each.

 

The BI said the three arrested are currently being held at the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig pending deportation.