Police Agency Operates Special Reporting and Voluntary Surrender Period for Phone Financial Fraud in Southeast Region

Seodaemun-gu Police Agency, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Jo] The National Police Agency announced on the 26th that it will operate a special overseas reporting and voluntary surrender period for phone financial fraud in the Philippines, China, Thailand, and Cambodia for three months starting next month on the 1st. This is linked to the currently ongoing 'Special Reporting and Voluntary Surrender Period for Phone Financial Fraud' conducted by the National Police Agency’s National Investigation Headquarters, aiming to encourage active reporting by Korean residents abroad and the voluntary surrender of phone financial fraud organization members staying overseas.

According to the National Police Agency, as of June this year, there are 291 fugitives abroad, of which about 30% are fugitives related to phone financial fraud. Most of them are understood to be staying in Southeast Asia, including China and the Philippines. The police plan to dispatch officers to China, the Philippines, Thailand, and Cambodia to utilize local intelligence for arrest and repatriation.

From August to December last year, the National Police Agency dispatched Korean police officers to the Philippines, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia to operate the 'Special Overseas Reporting and Voluntary Surrender Period for Phone Financial Fraud' for the first time. During that period, 34 people were reported and arrested, and 49 voluntarily surrendered. In particular, the Korean Desk dispatched to the Philippines achieved the arrest of eight members of the phone financial fraud organization, including the organization leader ‘Team Leader Kim Mi-young,’ who is considered the originator of the fraud.

This year’s 'Special Overseas Reporting and Voluntary Surrender Period for Phone Financial Fraud' will first be implemented targeting the Philippines from the 1st of next month, considering that the Korean Desk is currently dispatched there. Police officers will also be dispatched to China, Thailand, and Cambodia in the near future to implement the program. The dispatched Korean Desk and police cooperation officers will establish a communication system with the National Police Agency and, upon receiving reports or voluntary surrenders, will cooperate with overseas law enforcement agencies to arrest and repatriate the subjects.

For informants, the payment of a maximum reward of up to 100 million KRW will be considered upon the arrest of related persons. For those who voluntarily surrender, the motives and circumstances of the surrender will be specifically confirmed and provided to the investigative authorities to be used as mitigating factors during criminal proceedings. Kang Ki-taek, head of the Interpol International Cooperation Division, stated, "After this special voluntary surrender and reporting period, we will respond with zero tolerance toward phone financial fraud offenders."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.