Korean American drug dealer escapes hospital custody after operation

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American Jun No escaped from custody after undergoing an operation for appendicitis

Korean American arrested for selling at least 140 ecstasy tablets was able to escape custody on Saturday (April 15) after undergoing surgery for appendicitis.

Jun No, who was arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s Drug Enforcement Group (DEG) on April 5, was taken to hospital on April 10 after he complained of abdominal pain.

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Jun escaped from East Avenue Medical Centre at 6.10am on Saturday as one guard slept beside him and another was out fetching breakfast.

Jun was first bought to the PNP General Hospital then to the East Avenue Medical Center, according to a DEG press release on the case.

At 9.30pm, Jun underwent surgery for acute appendicitis. He was confined to his ward and was guarded by personnel of the DEG and the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency.

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But Jun was still able to escape after the policeman assigned to guard him went out for breakfast. The PDEA agent, meanwhile, “was asleep beside him.”

Police believe Jun was assisted by a certain Darleen Son, who gave him 3,000 pesos to facilitate his escape. Son was arrested by the PNP DEG and faces obstruction of justice charges for helping the escape.

Senior Police Office 2 Michael Macarubbo and PDEA agent Ernie Eugnio, meanwhile, face evasion through negligence charges for allowing Jun to escape.

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Jun was apparently left without handcuffs while in his hospital bed, contrary to protocols.

They also face administrative cases for serious neglect of duty and are currently in the custody of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Police have now launched a manhunt to track down Jun.

The DEG is the PNP’s newly-formed unit to catch “high-value targets” in President Duterte’s war on drugs.

It was created in March, a month after the president ordered the closure of the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG) after one of its men allegedly kidnapped and murdered Korean businessman Ji Ick Joo.