KOREAN WANTED FOR FAKE MONEY TRADING NABBED AT NAIA

BUREAU of Immigration (BI) agents at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) arrested a South Korean man wanted by authorities in Seoul for a string of criminal cases due to his involvement in counterfeit currency trading.

In a report to Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco, the BI’s Border Control and Intelligence Unit (BCIU) identified the Korean as 26-year-old Jang Junseok.

Junseok was intercepted at the NAIA Terminal 1 last April 7 after attempting to board a Philippine Airlines flight to Busan, South Korea.

The Korean was arrested after his name prompted a hit in 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.

Junseok 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 Junseok’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 the suspect.

Junseok was described by authorities as a professional counterfeit currency user who forged South Korean bank notes, used them at will and engaged in acts that disrupted social order.

The suspect reportedly has six prior convictions for the same criminal offense but was released on parole in 2023.

While on parole, Junseok 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.