Korean ‘counterfeiter’ nabbed

A 26-YEAR-OLD man from South Korea facing criminal charges in Seoul for his alleged involvement in counterfeit currency trading has been arrested by agents of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Pasay City.

South Korean authorities describe the fugitive, identified by the BI as Jang Junseok, as a professional counterfeiter who forged and used South Korean banknotes, the BI said in a statement on Friday, April 12, 2024.

The value of the currency notes Jang had allegedly forged amounted to more than 30 million won, or about P1.2 million, according to the BI.

Jang was intercepted and arrested by agents of the Border Control and Intelligence Unit (Bicu) while he was about to board a Philippine Airlines flight bound for Busan, South Korea at Naia Terminal 1 last Saturday, April 7.

Bicu agents arrested Jang after his name showed up in the BI’s derogatory list, which indicates he was included in the bureau’s watchlist order and was subject to a red notice by Interpol.

BI Interpol acting chief Jaime Bustamante said in a statement on Friday, that the Daegu district court in South Korea issued the warrant for Jang’s arrest on Feb, 28.

The arrest warrant stems from a case filed against Jang for the alleged possession and trading of counterfeit currency.

Jang has six prior convictions for his criminal activity but was released on parole in 2023, according to the BI.

However, Jang reportedly did not stop his illegal activities -- he continued to forge South Korean bank notes.

He used an alias to cheat his victims who were offered the fake bank notes at lower prices compared to the genuine notes.