The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has intercepted and barred a South Korean national wanted by authorities in Seoul for fraud and money laundering connected to a telecommunications-based financial scam.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado identified the fugitive as Hwang Hyeonjun, 26, who was stopped on the morning of February 5 at Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) after immigration officers flagged his name in the BI’s system.
According to BI Interpol Chief Peter De Guzan, Hwang is the subject of an active Red Notice issued by the National Central Bureau in Seoul. He faces prosecution for fraud and laundering criminal proceeds, with a warrant of arrest issued by the Suwon District Court in 2025.
Records indicate Hwang was allegedly involved in a telecom fraud syndicate that deceived victims through phone-based financial scams, impersonating bank employees to convince victims to transfer large sums of money. In one reported case, a victim lost KRW 10 million through a fake debt consolidation loan scheme. Collected funds were reportedly converted into cryptocurrency and moved to digital wallets controlled by the syndicate, with an estimated total of KRW 32.5 million laundered through similar schemes.
The offenses fall under Korea’s Special Act on the Prevention of Loss Caused by Telecommunications-Based Financial Fraud and Refund for Loss, which carries penalties of up to 30 years in prison.
Hwang, who arrived from Vietnam via Philippine Airlines, was denied entry under the Philippine Immigration Act for being a fugitive and a potential risk to public interest. He has been added to the BI blacklist, permanently barring him from returning to the Philippines.
“We will not allow the Philippines to be used as a base, refuge, or transit point for international fraud syndicates,” Viado said. He added that the bureau continues to strengthen real-time coordination with INTERPOL and foreign law enforcement to prevent transnational crime.
