A 20-Year-Old Who Violated COVID-19 Self-Quarantine Stole a Vehicle After Drug Use

Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] A woman in her 20s who stole a vehicle after using drugs while under self-quarantine was caught by the police.

The Gwangju Bukbu Police Station announced on the 14th that they have apprehended and are investigating A (24, female) on charges including violation of the Narcotics Control Act.

According to the police, A stole a parked car with the key inserted in Hwajeong-dong, Seo-gu, around 1 a.m. on the previous day (the 13th), drove it to Duam-dong, Buk-gu, and was caught by patrol officers who responded to a report around 4:20 a.m.

At the time, A was in a drugged state and was speaking incoherently. Approximately 1 gram of powder suspected to be methamphetamine was found among her belongings.

During the investigation, the police confirmed that A had entered the country from the Philippines and was under self-quarantine. This led to the temporary closure of the police station and the quarantine of contacts, causing a commotion; however, the closure and quarantine measures were lifted after A tested negative for COVID-19.

A was supposed to remain under self-quarantine until around noon that day but was found to have left her registered residence and stayed at various motels.

The police stated that a rapid drug test conducted on A showed a positive result.

The police have requested an analysis from the National Forensic Service to confirm the exact drug use and plan to investigate the detailed circumstances of the case once A’s mental state recovers.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.