'Seeking a Job' Korean Detained in the Philippines... Rescued Through Korea-Philippines Police Cooperation

The police flag of the Seoul Seodaemun-gu Police Agency is fluttering in the wind. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] A South Korean national who was detained by a Chinese criminal organization in Angeles, Philippines, while seeking employment, was safely rescued through cooperation between the Korean Desk and local police.

The National Police Agency announced on the 26th that they rescued a man in his 40s, Mr. A, who had been detained for two months in Angeles, Philippines, after being lured by a Chinese criminal organization, in collaboration with local police. According to the police, the rescue operation began with a report from Mr. A’s mother. On the 14th, she reported to the Boryeong Police Station in Chungnam and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that "her son, who went to the Philippines, was detained by a Chinese criminal organization and had lost contact."

Upon receiving the report, the National Police Agency formed a task force (TF) centered on the Korean Desk, police attach?s, and the detectives in charge of the case, and immediately instructed the Angeles Korean Desk, which has jurisdiction over the crime scene, to respond. The Angeles Korean Desk identified the detention site as an office building operated by a Chinese illegal online gambling organization with about 200 members. On the day of the report, they forcibly entered the building with the Philippine police and rescued the victim.

The police attach? at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines later obtained a statement from the rescued Mr. A that seven more South Korean nationals were detained at the same location and coordinated a second operation with the Philippine National Police. Fortunately, before the operation, the criminal organization released all seven detainees, and the police provided protection and repatriation support for them.

Mr. A, who was rescued this time, reportedly left for the Philippines around July after seeing a promotional post on an internet job site. However, the place he found was a Chinese criminal organization operating illegal online gambling based in the Philippines. When he was forced to participate in the crime and expressed his intention to withdraw, he was detained. A National Police Agency official stated, "There are frequent incidents of murder and kidnapping of Chinese nationals by Chinese illegal gambling organization members throughout the Philippines," and urged, "Since recent evidence shows that Koreans are also involved in related organizations, please be especially cautious."

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