Arrest Warrant for Woman Burglarizing Empty Homes During Uljin Wildfire... Police "Strict Investigation" (Comprehensive)

Serious Crimes Threatening Social Trust
Policy to Detain Suspects if Similar Crimes Recur

Houses in Buk-myeon, Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk, affected by the wildfire [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] A woman in her 40s who attempted to burglarize empty houses while posing as a volunteer in Uljin, Gyeongbuk, which suffered major wildfire damage, was caught by the police. The police announced their intention to conduct a strict investigation and decided to strengthen patrols and preventive criminal activities to prevent similar crimes from recurring.

On the 6th, the Uljin Police Station in Gyeongbuk announced that they had applied for an arrest warrant for Ms. A on charges of attempted burglary during nighttime residential intrusion. Ms. A is suspected of taking a bus alone from Daegu to Buk-myeon, Uljin, on the 4th, when the Uljin wildfire began, and attempting to burglarize two houses.

According to the police, on the night the wildfire was ongoing, when a resident evacuation order was issued, Ms. A tried to steal items while going around houses but was caught by a homeowner and arrested by the police who responded to the report. It was investigated that one house in Hadang-ri, Buk-myeon, which she entered earlier, was left empty-handed as there was nothing to steal. A police official said, "It is believed that Ms. A entered empty houses while wandering around the village, claiming she came to volunteer."

Meanwhile, the National Police Agency explained in a message sent to the press corps on the same day, "This crime, committed taking advantage of the confusion in the wildfire-affected area, is defined as a serious crime threatening social trust, and an arrest warrant has been applied for." They also added that in case of similar crimes, investigations will be conducted primarily under detention.

The police also decided to strengthen patrols and preventive criminal activities in the wildfire-affected areas. They plan to prioritize deploying patrol personnel to high-crime areas requested by residents. In addition, the police will deploy mobile units to support on-site traffic control, guide residents, and assist in extinguishing remaining fires. The National Police Agency stated, "A victim protection team will be formed centered on the relevant provincial police agency, and we will do our best in wildfire damage prevention and disaster victim protection activities."

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