SNS advertisements and verification records belonging to the suspect, a Thai national [Provided by the Ministry of Justice Incheon Immigration and Foreign Residents Office]
SNS advertisements and verification records belonging to the suspect, a Thai national [Provided by the Ministry of Justice Incheon Immigration and Foreign Residents Office]

A Thai national who spent years running an unlicensed passenger transport service and an illegal immigration paperwork business while overstaying his visa has been caught and referred to prosecutors, authorities said Wednesday, after accumulating roughly 1 billion won ($675,000) in illicit earnings.

The Ministry of Justice's Incheon Immigration and Foreign Residents Office said it detained the 36-year-old Thai suspect, identified only as A, on charges of violating the Immigration Control Act and sent the case to the Incheon District Prosecutors Office on Thursday.

An investigation found that A had been recruiting customers through social media platforms including Facebook and TikTok since 2022 while living in South Korea as an undocumented overstayer, operating an unlicensed paid transport service on major routes including to and from Incheon International Airport.

A made 485 illegal trips using an on-demand ride model, collecting between 250,000 won and 550,000 won per trip depending on distance, investigators found.

Beyond transport, he also ran an illegal administrative services operation targeting undocumented Thai nationals, handling voluntary departure pre-registration and other immigration paperwork on their behalf.

Authorities confirmed at least 815 such cases, with A charging fees of 50,000 won to 100,000 won per case.

Immigration authorities believe A sustained the illegal operation for about five years, accumulating around 1 billion won in criminal proceeds from transport fees and administrative service charges combined.

The Incheon Immigration and Foreign Residents Office said it had been expanding its investigation after determining that unlicensed transport and illegal administrative services not only undermine the orderly management of foreign residents' status but also pose a potential threat to public safety through unvetted transport activity.

"Unlicensed transport operations and illegal administrative services by undocumented foreign nationals are serious crimes that erode the order of residency management," said Park Jae-wan, head of the Incheon Immigration and Foreign Residents Office. "We will continue to strengthen enforcement against such illegal activities and do our utmost to establish a sound immigration order."


gilbert@heraldcorp.com