The mastermind behind an investment leading room scam that defrauded 11.1 billion won was forcibly repatriated from the Philippines on the morning of 28th.
The Korean National Police Agency noted that on the same morning, they apprehended A (26), who posed as an investment expert operating a leading room, in the Philippines and forcibly repatriated him through Incheon International Airport.
A is suspected of defrauding approximately 11.1 billion won from 199 victims by soliciting investments in virtual assets and unlisted stocks.
Since January 2023, A organized a criminal group imitating the drama 'Money Heist' along with 31 accomplices (29 apprehended). They referred to each other by code names like 'Professor' and 'Berlin', posing as investment experts to commit the crimes.
The Korean National Police Agency applied for a red notice through Interpol starting in August 2023 and formed a joint operation team with South Korea and the Philippines to focus on tracking him down.
The joint operation team confirmed A's hiding place through intelligence gathering and deployed 24-hour surveillance on November 24 last year. Subsequently, they deployed 10 armed police officers to apprehend A and four other members of the organization. Among the members caught on-site, two were forcibly repatriated to Korea in February and March, respectively, while the remaining two are reported to be awaiting deportation in a Philippine immigration detention center.