Korean authorities on Monday said a Russian linked to al-Qaida posing as a refugee had been expelled. 

The Russian national, who was not identified, served as an instructor for fighters of the Nusra Front, an al-Qaida-linked jihadist group in Syria, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. 

The instructor was arrested on Jan. 15 in South Korea at a residence and was immediately deported to Russia. At the time, the militant remained silent and refused to answer any questions from police. 

The militant had fled to Korea in November 2016 and sought refugee status two times, in 2017 and 2019, being denied both times. 

After obtaining intelligence last year, police began tracking the instructor. During the process, they found that Russian authorities had issued an arrest warrant on charges of “membership in terrorist group,” and was on Russia’s terrorist list. Interpol also issued a red notice, calling on member states to locate and arrest the person. 

Police said the instructor had not conducted any unusual activities while in Korea, based on the forensic investigation. 

Last year, the UN warned that a growing number of al-Qaida-linked operatives were fleeing to South Korea as refugees. Especially, al-Qaida-linked Uzbeks had chosen Korea due to the relatively high member of Uzbek migrants here, according to the UN report. 

The US in 2012 designated the Nusra Front as a foreign terrorist organization. Consisting of around 15,000 militants, its goal is to establish an Islamic State under sharia law in Syria. It is also known by its new name Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)