South Korean allegedly wanted for illegal drug trade sent back to Seoul

November 30, 2017

Immigration officers at the international airport in Cebu arrested a South Korean wanted by authorities in Seoul for trading illegal drugs.

​​Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente said Wednesday apprehended was 30-year-old Oh Joohwan last Nov. 17 upon his arrival at the Mactan airport aboard an Air Asia flight from Kuala Lumpur.

​​Morente said Oh was sent back to his country last Nov. 22 when he was flown to Seoul while escorted by prosecutors and anti-drug investigators from Korea’s Ministry of Justice.

​​He added Oh was immediately excluded upon his arrival after the BI database at the airport showed that he is wanted in South Korea for violating his country’s control of narcotics act.

​​BI port operations division chief Marc Red Mariñas  said Oct. 31 Interpol issued a red notice alerting Philippine authorities about his criminal record and on  possibility that he might enter the country.

​​“We were supposed to book him on the first available return flight to Korea after he was intercepted but officials from the Korean embassy requested that his departure be deferred pending the arrival of his escorts,” Mariñas said. DMS

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