An Interpol Red Notice has been issued for South Korean businessman Mr. Kwon (active name 'Jae-rim'), who is accused of forcibly administering drugs to freelance announcer Kim Na-jeong in the Philippines. Mr. Kwon is suspected of being deeply involved in investment fraud and drug trafficking, operating servers across Southeast Asia, including Vietnam and the Philippines. He is believed to have evaded authorities for the past six years. This incident is more than just a drug administration case; it has exposed the reality of an organized crime syndicate operating overseas, causing significant shock.
Announcer Kim Na-jeong's Claim of Forced Drug Administration and Police Investigation
On January 24, the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency's Narcotics Investigation Unit sent announcer Kim Na-jeong to the prosecution without detention on charges of violating the Act on the Control of Narcotics. Ms. Kim claimed she was forcibly made to inhale drugs in the Philippines and submitted related evidence to the police. However, the police determined that the evidence alone was insufficient to prove coercion.
This incident came to light on November 12 last year when Ms. Kim posted on her social media in Manila, "I confess to taking drugs in the Philippines," and "I can't take the plane because I feel like I'm going to die." Subsequently, Ms. Kim returned to Incheon Airport by plane from Manila and was investigated by the Incheon International Airport Police Department. The case was then transferred to the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency, considering her address.
Kim's legal representative, Law Firm Choongjung, stated that Ms. Kim visited the Philippines for beauty product promotion and the launch of a lingerie brand when she was introduced to Mr. Kwon. They emphasized that the meeting occurred solely because Mr. Kwon actively offered to assist with Ms. Kim's business, and the so-called 'sponsorship' relationship is not true. Choongjung claimed that while intoxicated, Ms. Kim had her hands tied and eyes blindfolded, and was forced to inhale smoke. During this process, Mr. Kwon's group allegedly threatened her with a gun. Ms. Kim's mobile phone contains a video of her with her hands tied and eyes blindfolded. She explained that the drug confession post on social media before returning to Korea was a "distress call." Ms. Kim added that during a video call with the police to request personal protection, a video of Mr. Kwon's associates tracking her was recorded.
The Identity of 'Jae-rim' Mr. Kwon: The Mastermind of a 300 Billion Won Investment Fraud
According to Illyo Sisa's investigation, the businessman Mr. Kwon (active name 'Jae-rim'), born on August 5, 1995, whom Ms. Kim met in the Philippines, is believed to have earned over 300 billion won in investment fraud through an 'investment leading room' on social media. It has been confirmed that Mr. Kwon has no record of entering Korea since he departed for the Philippines on August 4, 2019.
There were also reports that Mr. Kwon maintained a close relationship with and received protection from Mr. Lee Sang-tae, the real-life model for the drama "Casino." Mr. Lee was apprehended on August 23 last year by the Mokpo Branch of the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office through international cooperation utilizing local Korean resident intelligence networks, after evading capture in the Philippines for 21 years. Mr. Lee was a 'free man not yet served sentence' who was indicted on fraud charges in 2014 for defrauding investors of over 110 million won by operating an illegal gambling office in the Philippines. He was sentenced to two years in prison in February 2020. The Mokpo Branch stated that this was the first case where a criminal was apprehended on Cebu Island, not the main island of Luzon, overcoming the geographical limitations of the Philippines, which consists of over 7,000 islands. It is shocking to discover that Mr. Kwon has been living a carefree life in the Philippines under the protection of such a high-profile criminal.
Mr. Kwon Suspected of Involvement in 7 Billion Won Investment Fraud and Drug Trafficking
Mr. Kwon's name was also mentioned in other large-scale criminal cases. In 2022, a group arrested by the police for conducting a 7 billion won investment fraud by luring 130 users to a fake alternative coin trading site after opening an 'investment leading room' on social media also identified Mr. Kwon as the mastermind.
At the time, the Busan Provincial Police Agency's Cyber Investigation Unit announced that they had apprehended 16 members of this investment fraud ring, arresting 8 and indicting 8 without detention. The police took Interpol Red Notice measures against 5 key executives, including the absconding Mr. Kwon, and issued an arrest warrant for 1 remaining member residing in Korea. From June 2021 to February 2022, these individuals are accused of defrauding 130 investors of approximately 7 billion won by impersonating professional investment advisors in social media open chat rooms (investment leading rooms) and making them register on fake virtual asset sites.
According to police investigations, mastermind Mr. Kwon operated the organization meticulously with a headquarters in the Philippines, dividing roles into a headquarters operations team, general sales management team, and member recruitment team. They used illegally obtained personal information to send random text messages to mobile phone users in Korea, luring them into social media open chat rooms (investment leading rooms). They enticed victims by promising "300-400% high returns through alternative coin investments" or claiming "investment leading services are only for VIPs," and gained trust by displaying fake investment professional licenses and business registration certificates. Victims included a 60-year-old man who lost 150 million won of his retirement funds, a 50-year-old man who lost 250 million won, and college students and housewives new to virtual asset investment, spanning various age groups. The individual damage amount ranged from 10 million won to 250 million won, with a total of 130 victims.
Furthermore, investment leading room crime organizations operating in Southeast Asia are mostly presumed to be involved in drug trafficking. The case of organization members who escaped from a Philippine detention center with Mr. Park, the voice phishing mastermind known as 'Team Leader Kim Mi-young,' and formed a new crime organization combining voice phishing and drug trafficking in the 'Bicutan Immigration Detention Center' supports this. Mr. Song, known as the 'Bicutan Drug King,' was also revealed to be the upper-level supplier of Mr. Kim, who was caught possessing Philopon in Suwon in 2022. They continued their detention life by engaging in voice phishing, selling unregistered phones, and drug trafficking, and are believed to have converted hundreds of millions of won in criminal proceeds into Bitcoin. A local informant explained, "Leading room and voice phishing organizations have started engaging in the easy money-making drug business, and Mr. Kwon is also involved in drug trafficking using the same methods, which is why he could easily administer drugs to Kim Na-jeong."
Southeast Asia: A Haven for Fugitive Criminals
Mr. Kwon is known to have purchased real estate in Bonifacio and other wealthy, developed areas of the Philippines. According to local reports, Mr. Kwon owns several properties under borrowed names in the Philippines, Thailand, and elsewhere. There are even rumors that some of the houses where Korean consuls reside are effectively owned by Mr. Kwon. In Southeast Asia, where money is power and status, it would likely not have been difficult for Mr. Kwon to bribe local police. Mr. Kwon reportedly evaded the authorities by posing as a businessman and indulging in pleasure with numerous women. Analysis suggests that Ms. Kim Na-jeong would have found it difficult to suspect Mr. Kwon, who was disguised as a wealthy businessman.
Currently, under domestic law, there is no provision for aggravated punishment for forcibly administering drugs to others. Forced drug administration is treated like any other drug-related activity and is only punished as a violation of the Narcotics Control Act. In 2019, an amendment to the Narcotics Control Act was proposed in the National Assembly to increase the statutory penalty by up to one-half for forced administration, but due to the Ministry of Justice's "cautious review" opinion and the expiration of the 20th National Assembly's term, all proposals were discarded.
This incident highlights the severe reality that criminals who have fled overseas are forming organizations locally and committing various crimes, including investment fraud and drug trafficking, and are cleverly evading authorities by colluding with local powers. The need to strengthen international cooperation in investigations and intensify the pursuit of overseas fugitives has once again been raised.
[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]
