The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has detained eight Koreans arrested recently for operating an illegal online gambling business in Makati City.

BI Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. said he ordered the Koreans’ commitment at the immigration jail in Bicutan, Taguig to prevent their release while undergoing preliminary investigation.

They were identified as Jae Hoon Hwang, Yomg Yeom Kim, Sung Hoon Youn, Hyeok Choi, Yong Beom Cho, Jin Dong Kim, Jun Min Hyeok.

David said the Koreans are undergoing deportation proceedings for being undesirable aliens and for violating the conditions of their stay as tourists.

He explained that deportation cases of the aliens are separate from the charges of violating the anti-illegal gambling law filed agains them by the National Bureau of Investigation for violating PD 1602 or the illegal gambling law.

“Since they have been charged with immigration law violations, they will remain detained until their cases are resolved by the court,” the BI chief said.

He added that the Koreans will only deported if the court drops the criminal charges against them or after they have served their sentences, if convicted.

Records showed that the Koreans were turned over to the BI last Sept. 3, four days after NBI agents arrested them inside their unit at the AIC Tower, Ortigas Center, Pasig City where they operated an online casino gambling facility.

NBI officials said the Koreans were engaged in illegal gambling as they did not have the required license from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).

            Seized from the aliens during the raid were several computer units, monitors, CPU’s, modems, keyboard, laptop, hard disks, IPADs, routers, WIFI, telephones, cables, and other paraphernalia.###