Bureau of Immigration (BI) agents on Friday arrested a South Korean wanted by authorities in Seoul for a string of criminal cases involving counterfeit currency trading.
The Bureau’s Border Control and Intelligence Unit identified the Korean as Jang Junseok, who was intercepted at the NAIA terminal 1 after attempting to board a Philippine Airlines flight to Busan, South Korea.
Jang was arrested after his name appeared on the BI’s derogatory list, indicating that he is subject of a watchlist order from the bureau as well as of a red notice issued by the Interpol.
He was barred from boarding his flight and brought to the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending deportation proceedings.
According to BI-Interpol acting chief Jaime Bustamante, a warrant for Jang’s arrest was issued by the Daegu district court in South Korea on Feb. 28, 2024, after a case for possession and trading counterfeit currency was filed against him.
He was described as a professional counterfeit currency user who forged South Korean bank notes, “used them at will, and engaged in acts that disrupted social order.”
Jang reportedly had six prior convictions for the same criminal offense but was released on parole in 2023.
While on parole, Jang allegedly continued to forge bank notes and used a pseudonym to cheat his victims, who were offered the fake bank notes at lower prices compared to the genuine notes.
The value of the currency notes he allegedly forged amounted to more than 30 million won, or about US$22,000.