"Struggling with Financial Hardship"... Surge in Robbery and Parcel Theft Crimes

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] People suffering from economic difficulties such as financial hardship are increasingly falling into the abyss of crime. Those who threatened others with weapons to demand money or stole packages left at the front of houses were eventually caught by the police and brought to justice.

According to the police on the 26th, the Songpa Police Station in Seoul has arrested and is investigating A (47) on charges including attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon.

A is accused of following an employee going to work at a financial institution in Songpa-dong, Songpa-gu, at 7:21 a.m. on the 23rd, threatening the employee with a weapon to demand money, but abandoning the crime and fleeing after being persuaded by the employee. He was caught by the police later that day on the street in Hapjeong-dong, Mapo-gu.

During the police investigation, A reportedly stated that he had incurred large debts due to stock investment and suffered from financial hardship.

In March, B (28), who delivered pizza and habitually stole packages left at apartment entrances, was caught by the police. From December last year to February this year, he roamed areas including Seocho-gu and Dongjak-gu, stealing packages until he was caught.

B testified that he committed the crimes due to financial hardship and is said to have a prior record of imprisonment for theft.

Using his position as a pizza delivery worker to avoid suspicion, B entered apartments and hid packages in his pizza delivery bag, moving down floor by floor from the higher floors. When packages disappeared, victims mistook it for delivery accidents, and B only stole items that could fit in the pizza delivery bag, so the crime went undetected for several months.

About 10 package boxes were found at his home, and investigations revealed a total of about 1 million won worth of items, including clothing valued at approximately 700,000 won.

A mother in her 40s, C, who killed her 8-year-old son while in a state of mental and physical weakness due to financial hardship and depression, was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison.

C was prosecuted on charges of killing her son by pressing his head against a pillow after attempting an extreme act by taking a large amount of medication with her son at her home in Yangsan, Gyeongnam, in December last year, but failing.

She told the police that she committed the crime due to severe depression after suffering financial hardship following a divorce.

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