Special Voluntary Surrender Period for Members of 'Jeonhwageumyung Sagi' Crime Groups Operated for 3 Months

Sentencing Reflected Including Non-Detention Investigation of Self-Reporters Until January 11 Next Year

Police Agency building.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The National Police Agency announced on the 11th that, starting from the 12th of this month until January 11th of next year, a three-month voluntary surrender period for members of telephone financial fraud criminal organizations will be implemented jointly with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office for the first time.

This voluntary surrender period aims to raise awareness about telephone financial fraud, secure key evidence against criminal organizations to arrest leaders and members, and support the smooth reintegration into society of simple participants, such as young adults in their 20s and 30s with no prior criminal records.

Eligible individuals for surrender include those who have participated in telephone financial fraud criminal organizations involved in call centers, caller ID spoofing, malicious app creation and distribution, or those who possess internal information related to these crimes.

While it is principle that the surrender must be made personally, cases where family members or acquaintances report on behalf of the individual will be treated as if the person surrendered directly. Additionally, if an investigator informs a suspect with an outstanding indictment warrant about the surrender period and the suspect appears, this will also be treated as a surrender, thereby expanding the scope of voluntary surrender.

Those wishing to surrender or provide information can do so by appearing in person at any police station or prosecutor's office nationwide regardless of jurisdiction, or by submitting written reports. All surrenders and reports received by the police during this period will be immediately investigated by the Telephone Financial Fraud Investigation Teams of each city and provincial police agency, with focused investigations planned.

Upon initiation of investigation, the Investigation Teams will notify the relevant prosecutor's office and specify that the case is a "surrender case during the reporting period" when transferring the case, so that this can be considered as a mitigating factor in sentencing. They will also review information provided by the surrendering individuals to strengthen crackdowns on domestic members linked to overseas telephone financial fraud organizations. Furthermore, international extradition and arrest of overseas telephone financial fraud members will be pursued.

Previously, through a special voluntary surrender and reporting period for telecommunication financial fraud from June to August, 148 members of telephone financial fraud criminal organizations were arrested. Since August 25th, a special overseas voluntary surrender and reporting period has been operated to continuously arrest overseas criminal organization members.

A National Police Agency official stated, "After the surrender period ends, zero tolerance measures will be taken against telephone financial fraud offenders," and urged, "We hope that individuals take this opportunity to actively surrender to receive benefits such as sentencing consideration and smooth reintegration into society."

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