South Korea Seeks Extradition of Detained Crypto Fraudster From Montenegro

A view of the state prosecutor's offices in Podgorica, Montenegro. Photo: EPA/BORIS PEJOVIC

On Friday, Montenegro's prosecution charged Do Kwon and Han Chang-hoon with falsifying their ID after they were arrested a day before at Podgorica airport.

Do Kwon and Han Chang-Joon, a senior executive at Chai a mobile payment provider, were arrested trying to board a private flight to the United Arab Emirates with falsified travel documents from Costa Rica.

"During the inspection of luggage, police also found falsified Belgium and South Korean passports. By order of the state prosecutor, three laptops and five mobile phones were taken from them," police told the media. "Police found that those persons had not registered their entry into Montenegro," they added.

Podgorica-based lawyer Branko Andjelic said Do Kwon and Han Chang-hoon insisted they did not falsify their documents.

"Both said their travel documents are valid and they insisted the Montenegrin prosecution check them officially. They are also fully willing to participate in the proceedings," Andjelic told BIRN.

"They did not comment on the extradition procedure at all, because they were not even questioned about it," he added.

"South Korean prosecutors will take steps to repatriate Do Kwon. We are working on the process," a spokeswoman for the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office told AFP on Friday.

In September last year, a South Korean court issued an arrest warrant for the founder of Terraform Lab company after he was accused of fraud by investors in the wake of the collapse of his company.

Kwon was charged with fraud and breaches of South Korea's capital markets law, but Kwon claimed the charges were "politically motivated."

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