HANOI -- Philippines authorities said Wednesday they have recaptured a South Korean murder suspect who escaped from a detention center three months ago.

The fugitive, surnamed Park, was arrested in a surprise raid of an apartment in the northern city of Tarlac on Saturday, the Philippines' Bureau of Immigration said in a press release. 

Park, 38, is suspected of murdering three South Koreans -- two male and one female -- who were found dead in a sugar cane field in Bacolor, some 70 kilometers northwest of Manila, on Oct. 11. All three had gunshot wounds to their heads.

Park allegedly plotted to kill the victims to siphon off money they had invested in a casino business. He was originally arrested in November last year, before fleeing in March.

Along with Park, another South Korean fugitive who fled with him, surnamed Jung, was arrested. Jung, 38, is accused of alleged swindling activities.

"I have instructed our deportation unit to immediately arrange their flight back to Korea so they can be tried and punished for their crimes," Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said.

According to BI intelligence officer Jude Hinolan, a 38-caliber revolver, bullets, fake identification cards and several credit cards in the names of other Korean nationals were found with the duo, the release said.

Concerns about the safety of South Korean residents and travelers have risen in recent years due to a flurry of South Korean deaths in the Philippines, mostly driven by profit motives. The number of South Koreans killed in the Philippines stood at 11 in 2015 and nine in 2016. (Yonhap)