A South Korean man charged with running an illegal gambling website in the Philippines and earning 1.3 trillion won (US$981 million) in profits was repatriated for investigation, police said Thursday.
The 44-year-old suspect, believed to be the leader of a gambling group, was apprehended in the Southeast Asian nation on charges of opening a gambling house in the country in November 2021 and had since been held at an immigration detention center for foreigners.
After discussions with South Korean officials, the Philippine justice department decided earlier this month to deport him and the extradition date was set for Tuesday.
But the suspect reported a criminal case involving him to local police last week in an attempt to avoid being sent back, and the prospect of his extradition was thrown into doubt.
Following an urgent request for cooperation from the South Korean ambassador to the Philippines, the justice department finalized the decision to deport the suspect later Tuesday.
Police have also apprehended 166 members of the gambling group, and repatriated 16 others from the Philippines for investigation.
Source: Yonhap News Agency