ANGELES CITY, Pampanga – Operatives of the Bureau of Immigration’s Fugitive Search Unit (BI-FSU) arrested Choi Hojun, a 36-year-old South Korean national, wanted by Interpol and South Korean authorities for leading a telecommunications fraud syndicate.
Choi was apprehended on April 14 at his residence in Barangay Sto. Domingo, Angeles City. According to FSU Chief Rendel Ryan Sy, Choi had been hiding in the Philippines since August 2022, using the country as a refuge to evade prosecution.
A Red Notice from Interpol was issued in April 2024, following an arrest warrant from a district court in Incheon, Seoul. Choi is accused of heading a voice phishing operation that defrauded individuals by illegally accessing sensitive banking information. Authorities estimate that his group caused financial losses of over 1.73 billion Korean won, or approximately ₱70 million.
He is currently detained at the BI detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig, while awaiting deportation proceedings.
The Bureau of Immigration has confirmed that once a summary deportation order is issued by the Board of Commissioners, Choi will be deported and blacklisted from returning to the Philippines.
