Bureau of Immigration nabs Korean wanted for fraud

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) apprehended at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 a Korean-American allegedly wanted in Seoul for telecommunications fraud.

In a statement, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said fugitive Jason Han Hsu was intercepted as he was about to board an Air Asia flight to Osaka, Japan on July 17.

Hsu, who holds a US passport, will be included in the bureau’s list of undesirable aliens and banned from re-entering the Philippines.

According to Tansingco, the BI officer assigned at the immigration departure counter saw that Hsu is the subject of a red notice from the Interpol.

“Upon confirming that the passenger and the subject of the Interpol notice are one and the same, the immigration supervisors on duty decided to put Hsu under arrest,” Tansingco said.

Hsu allegedly worked for a voice phishing syndicate, which operated in China from where it made calls to victims in Korea, from May 2018 to November 2019.

The victims were reportedly told they could borrow large amounts of money at low interest provided they send money to designated bank accounts owned by Hsu and his cohorts.

It is estimated that more than $1.06 million in profits were amassed by the syndicate.

Hsu was transferred to the BI custodial facility in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City while waiting for his deportation.