Living in Luxury in Manila's Most Affluent Neighborhood
Illegal Gambling Site's Unlawful Profits of 1.3 Trillion Won
2 Years to Locate... 2 Years to Arrest... Another 2 Years for Extradition
Kim Mo (44), the head of a gambling organization who operated an illegal gambling site with 200 members in South Korea and the Philippines and pocketed 1.3 trillion won, was forcibly repatriated from the Philippines on the 30th. It has been six years since he fled to the Philippines in February 2017 to evade police investigation. Even after being arrested locally, his repatriation was delayed for more than two years, but eventually, his custody was handed over to the Korean police, bringing an end to Kim's movie-like escape. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Unit applied for an arrest warrant for Kim on the 31st.
The National Police Agency's Foreign Affairs Bureau Interpol International Cooperation Division, Korean Desk, and the Philippine National Police cooperated to arrest Mr. A, the head of an illegal cyber gambling organization, in Manila, Philippines, on September 18, 2021. [Photo by National Police Agency]
◆Astronomical Illegal Profits from Gambling Site= Kim operated an online gambling site in Korea but fled to the Philippines in February 2017 after being wanted in four police investigations. In July of the following year, he settled in Manila, Philippines, and reopened an online gambling site locally. He broadcasted live gambling games such as baccarat held at hotel casinos in Manila and created a ‘private toto’ where people could bet on sports games in Korea and overseas. Kim set up a total of eight offices in Manila and managed nearly 200 members, running a gambling organization divided into four teams: ‘Sports Toto Team,’ ‘Baccarat Team,’ ‘Site Management Team,’ and ‘Support Team.’ The police estimated that from July 2018 to December 2019, the amount deposited by members on the gambling site reached 1.3 trillion won. Considering the site operated until 2021, the total amount of money Kim handled is estimated to exceed 2 trillion won. The police arrested and repatriated 16 out of 20 members in the Philippines and apprehended 166 out of 177 members in Korea.
◆Armed Bodyguards and Luxurious Lifestyle= Kim lived a luxurious life in a top-tier resort in the Alabang area of Manila, Philippines, using the money he earned from running the illegal gambling organization. Alabang is a neighborhood where the wealthiest elite of the Philippines reside. With various amenities, spacious grounds, and well-organized urban development, there are no homeless people or beggars commonly seen throughout the Philippines. Even here, he moved between resorts and massive mansions, living lavishly. He drove ten luxury cars, including a Mercedes-Benz Maybach worth around 300 million won, and enjoyed golf and luxury shopping. According to the police, he usually concealed his identity thoroughly by traveling with about ten armed bodyguards and three to four security vehicles.
On September 18, 2021, when Mr. A, the ringleader of an illegal cyber gambling organization, was arrested, numerous luxury items including ten high-end cars such as a Mercedes-Maybach, designer bags, and golf equipment were found at Mr. A's residence in the Alabang area of Manila, Philippines. [Photo by National Police Agency]
◆Arrested After Two Years of Pursuit and Raid on Residence= The police became aware of Kim’s activities in the Philippines in September 2019. The Korean Desk, a unit dispatched to the Philippines since 2012 to cooperate in the arrest and repatriation of fugitives abroad and investigate violent crimes involving Koreans, took charge of the arrest. The operation to capture Kim was codenamed ‘Operation Cebu.’ Based on various intelligence, the Korean Desk identified Kim’s whereabouts and issued an Interpol Red Notice. However, it took considerable time to arrest him because Kim frequently changed residences to evade police pursuit. In July 2021, the Korean Desk confirmed Kim’s residence in Alabang, Manila, and surveilled his movements and lifestyle patterns for two months. Then, on September 18 of the same year, after confirming his face, the Korean Desk, along with 30 armed police officers including the Philippine police special forces, raided his residence. The police subdued the bodyguards one by one and arrested Kim, who fled barefoot into nearby bushes. The two-year-long ‘Operation Cebu’ was thus successful.
Mr. A (44), the head of a gambling organization who operated an illegal gambling site and gained unfair profits of 1.3 trillion won, was forcibly repatriated through Incheon International Airport on the 30th. [Photo by National Police Agency]
◆Schemes Even in Prison... Two More Years Until Repatriation= It took an additional two years after Kim’s arrest for the police, National Intelligence Service, and Philippine investigative agencies to repatriate him to Korea. Well-versed in the Philippine criminal justice system, Kim exploited the fact that if he was involved in a criminal case locally, he would not be deported to Korea until the trial concluded. He had third parties file lawsuits against him twice on charges of fraud and special threats. As repatriation was continuously delayed, the Korean National Police Agency requested early repatriation cooperation from the Philippine Ministry of Justice through the Korean Embassy in the Philippines. Since July, the police held weekly working meetings with the Philippine Ministry of Justice, and through bilateral cooperation, secured the Philippine Ministry of Justice’s deportation decision for Kim on the 18th of last month.
Kim struggled to delay repatriation until the very end. Even after the deportation decision, he had third parties file lawsuits against him on charges of tax law violations such as using forged checks. When the Philippine Ministry of Justice reversed the deportation decision, Lee Sang-hwa, the Korean Ambassador to the Philippines, who was informed of this, strongly requested cooperation for repatriation again. Eventually, the Philippine Ministry of Justice accepted the ambassador’s request, and Kim’s attempts failed. At 5 a.m. on the 30th, the passenger plane carrying Kim from Manila landed at Incheon International Airport, ending his long fugitive life.
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