Largest Operation... 49 Fugitives Extradited from the Philippines

[Financial News]  Suspects who had fled to the Philippines, including voice phishing offenders, have been extradited en masse to Korea.
The National Police Agency announced on the 3rd that they had forcibly extradited 49 suspects through a group extradition operation over four months.
This extradition is the largest case of fugitives entering Korea from a single country simultaneously. A chartered flight deployed to Manila, Philippines, arrived at Incheon International Airport on this day.
There were 25 fraud offenders, including 18 economic crime offenders. This was followed by 17 cybercrime offenders involved in gambling operations, 3 violent offenders including 1 organized crime member under special injury charges, and 1 each for embezzlement, foreign exchange transaction law violation, tax law violation, and sexual violence law violation. Among them, 45 were on Interpol's red notice.
The average escape period for these individuals is 3 years and 6 months. One suspect was caught after hiding in the Philippines for 16 years to avoid capture. The average age is 39, with the youngest suspect being 24 and the oldest 63. There are 43 men and 6 women. Their fraudulent activities affected 1,322 victims, with total damages amounting to 60.5 billion won. The gambling sites operated by suspects accused of gambling operations had a turnover of 10.7 trillion won.
11 individuals were found to have organized a criminal group and operated an online illegal gambling site worth 5.3 trillion won since 2018. The police dispatched officers to the local area in June and arrested 8 individuals with the help of the Korean Desk and the Philippine Immigration Bureau's fugitive tracking team of about 30 members. The main offender and accomplices involved in a robbery in Cebu, Philippines, last April were also extradited this time.
The Korean Embassy in the Philippines deployed the entire overseas safety team and coordinated details to secure cooperation from the Philippine authorities. Ambassador Lee Sang-hwa emphasized, "This group extradition serves as a turning point, showing that the Philippines is no longer a haven for criminals and that fugitives abroad will inevitably face justice, contributing to the safety of citizens in both countries."
The police held several meetings with related departments to discuss the movement routes at Incheon Airport, deployment of personnel, and entry procedures for the extradition. They also met with the Philippine Immigration Commissioner to check local procedures. Over 130 personnel, including police officers from the wanted department and medical staff from the police hospital, were mobilized, and about 100 personnel, including the anti-terrorism unit, were deployed at the Incheon Airport arrival hall.
The National Police Agency selects and manages major overseas fugitives every year. Since April, they have been conducting an 'Interpol-led intensive arrest and extradition operation for overseas fugitives.' The extradition targets included not only 3 individuals under intensive management but also 1 core grade target for 2024 and 1 important fugitive selected in 2022.
Lee Jun-hyung, Director of International Cooperation at the National Police Agency, stated, "This extradition demonstrated our determination to pursue fugitives abroad to the end," adding, "We will continue to arrest suspects who sustain their fugitive lives based on criminal proceeds and restore the damages."
unsaid@fnnews.com Kang Myung-yeon Reporter