Suspects in a robbery case that occurred in June 2022 in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, were arrested in Cebu, Philippines, in May last year. Courtesy of Korean National Police Agency

Among the 180 foreign fugitives arrested in the Philippines last year, 74 were Korean nationals.

According to local media outlets, including the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration said on Monday that 180 foreign nationals, suspected of committing crimes abroad and fleeing to the country, were arrested in 2024. This marks an increase of 52 individuals, or 41 percent, compared to 128 the previous year.

Of those arrested, 74 were Korean nationals, making them the largest group, surpassing Chinese nationals, who accounted for 62 arrests. The number of arrested Koreans nearly doubled from 39 the previous year, rising from 30 percent to over 40 percent of foreign fugitives in the Philippines.

The crimes committed varied widely, including financial crimes, investment fraud, illegal gambling, money laundering, phishing scams, robbery and drug trafficking.

In one case, three Korean men in their 30s were arrested in Cebu Province in the Philippines in May 2024 after breaking into an apartment in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, in 2022. A 59-year-old Korean man wanted for embezzlement and fraud, and a 47-year-old man under an Interpol Red Notice for assault and robbery were also among those arrested.

Other arrested fugitives included 12 Taiwanese, 11 Japanese, seven Americans, two Italians and two Australians. Among them was a group of six Japanese criminals, including the mastermind known as "Luffy," who orchestrated a large-scale robbery operation in Japan. Using social media, they recruited individuals with promises of high pay to carry out the crimes. The nickname "Luffy" comes from Monkey D. Luffy, the protagonist of the popular graphic novel “One Piece.”

A Bureau of Immigration official stated that nearly all of the arrested fugitives have already been deported to their home countries, where they have been convicted and are currently serving prison sentences.

Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado reiterated the country's firm stance, saying the Philippines is closed to all foreign fugitives. The commissioner emphasized that the country was not a refuge for foreign criminals.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.