A sharp rise in the number of foreign fugitives arrested during the first half of 2025 was recorded by the Bureau of Immigration (BI), while an almost 8% increase in total arrivals was also posted during the same period.
According to BI fugitive search unit (FSU) Chief Rendel Ryan Sy, the agency recorded 268 arrests from January to June—marking a nearly fourfold increase from the 69 apprehensions made in the same period last year.
Sy said among those apprehended was Korean national Lee Jihwan, arrested on January 8 in Talisay City, Cebu, for a violent robbery in South Korea. Authorities said Lee and his accomplice attacked a victim with a hand axe and forced him to transfer KRW 10 million to their account. Another Korean national, Chu Hoyong, was captured on February 13 for defrauding victims of KRW 2.26 billion using fake real estate collateral. He is considered a high-value target by Korean authorities and is allegedly linked to telecom fraud operations in the Philippines.
He added that between January and April, four Japanese nationals believed to be members of the “Luffy” syndicate, were arrested being wanted in their home country for theft. Allegedly, their modus was to impersonate police officers to gain entry into homes and carry out robberies. Sy reported.
Sy said that on May 21, seven more Japanese nationals connected to the “JP Dragon” syndicate were apprehended for similar crimes. The group is known for targeting elderly victims by posing as authorities and stealing their ATM cards and banking details. The syndicate’s alleged leader, Ryuji Yoshioka, was also nabbed on June 4 in Angeles City, Pampanga.
All arrested individuals will undergo deportation proceedings and are to be expelled from the country for being undesirable aliens.
In another development, the BI recorded an almost 8% increase in total arrivals from January to June 2025, compared to the same period last year.
According to BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval, the BI processed a total of 7,840,728 arrivals during the first half of the year, up from 7,268,465 in 2024.
Sandoval said topping the list of arrivals are travelers from the United States (753,544), followed by South Korea (745,623), Japan (256,776), China (229,915), and Australia (188,082).
