20s Fraud Suspect Escapes After Handcuffs Removed at Police Station

Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] A man in his 20s, who was arrested on fraud charges and was under police investigation, escaped, prompting a police manhunt.

According to the Namdong Police Station in Incheon on the 21st, around 5 a.m. that day, Mr. A (23) removed the handcuffs from one of his wrists and climbed over the police station fence to flee.

Mr. A, who was suspected of fraud and other charges, was arrested by police who arrived at his home in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, around 9 p.m. the previous day.

During the police investigation, Mr. A claimed, "I recently visited Jeju Island," and complained of symptoms related to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). As a result, the police did not place Mr. A in a detention cell but temporarily isolated him in the cyber investigation team's office where the questioning was conducted.

At that time, two investigators were present in the cyber investigation team's office, but it was reported that they realized belatedly that Mr. A had removed his handcuffs and escaped.

In addition to fraud charges, Mr. A is also wanted for violating the Special Act on the Settlement of Traffic Accidents. The police have deployed personnel from the violent crimes unit to track Mr. A and are reviewing CCTV footage near the police station to determine his escape route.

A police official stated, "Mr. A was handcuffed but removed them and fled," adding, "We are deploying all available personnel to pursue the suspect."

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