NBI-7 nabs female Korean for being illegal tour guide

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation-7 arrested last Sunday evening a female Korean at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport for acting as tour guide to fellow Koreans without permits from the Department of Tourism and Department of Labor and Employment.

Kim Jin A was with several other Korean tour guides at the airport's arrival area meeting and offering their services to their arriving compatriots.

Based on complaints from the DOT against the operations of illegal tour guides, the NBI operatives rounded up five Korean tour guides but several others were able to escape.

Of the five arrested, only Miss Kim failed to present to authorities a DOT accreditation and the DOLE alien employment permit to prove her legal status as a tour guide.

The four others were later released after they were able to show documents that they are licensed tour guides.

Several others, who were also operating as tour guides, eluded arrest by quickly joining the horde of arriving passengers.

The NBI immediately filed at the Lapu-Lapu City prosecutor's office a case against Miss Kim for alleged violation of the country's labor code, that is working without a permit.

It was the second time in nine days that the NBI had arrested Koreans that worked as tour guides illegally.

Last October 27, the NBI caught 15 Korean tour guides and found out that 13 of them had no work permits and accreditation.

The unlicensed tour guides were Cho Young Jung, Lee Jung Bae, Chang Hyun, Lee Sun Hee, Kim Chun Hee, Kim Hyoung Shin, Jo Sung Hun, Lee Ill Nam, Cho A-Ra, An Seong Woo, An Mi Kyung, Um Jae-eum, and Lee Soon Jin. - Fred P. Languido/RAE