Photo credit: BI

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested a South Korean fugitive who had been on the run for three years after escaping from a jail in Leyte, marking another step in the government's intensified campaign against illegal foreign fugitives.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado identified the suspect as 31-year-old Gim Sihun, who was apprehended on June 18 along Doña Julia Vargas Avenue in Mandaluyong City.

The operation was carried out by the BI's Fugitive Search Unit in coordination with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police Intelligence Group (PNP-IG).

Authorities said Gim escaped from the Sub-Provincial Jail in Abuyog, Leyte, in 2023, triggering a three-year manhunt. Before his arrest, he was reportedly included in South Korea's list of its top 10 most wanted escapees.

Gim is also facing fraud charges in South Korea, with an active warrant of arrest issued by the Seoul Central District Court. In addition, he has been under a summary deportation order since 2020 after being declared an undesirable alien because of his fugitive status.

Viado said the arrest reflects the Bureau's commitment to carrying out President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directive to intensify immigration enforcement against foreign fugitives using the Philippines as a hiding place.

He also credited the close coordination among the BI, PAOCC, and PNP for the successful operation. Gim is currently being held at the Bureau of Immigration's detention facility while awaiting deportation to South Korea, where he is expected to face the charges against him.