Police Arrest Gang Involved in Intentional Traffic Accidents... Insurance Fraud Amounting to 1.6 Billion Won, 144 Suspects Detained

Seoul Mapo Police Station Traffic Crime Investigation Team
Arrests Gang Responsible for 218 Intentional Traffic Accidents Nationwide Over 2 Years

The gang deliberately causing traffic accidents was recorded on the victims' vehicle black boxes. Photo by Mapo Police Station, Seoul

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] The police have apprehended a group that deliberately caused traffic accidents targeting vehicles that violated traffic regulations and changed lanes across the country.

The Traffic Crime Investigation Team of the Mapo Police Station in Seoul announced on the 13th that they had arrested 144 members of a group who caused 218 intentional traffic accidents targeting vehicles violating traffic laws and changing lanes in various locations nationwide, including Seoul, Incheon, and Busan, from November 2019 to December last year, and collected 1.6 billion KRW in insurance money.

They recruited accomplices through social networking service (SNS) posts advertising high-paying part-time jobs, deliberately causing minor collisions by targeting vehicles that abruptly changed lanes or moved to lower lanes at intersections. Afterwards, they demanded the other drivers to file insurance claims. To receive higher repair costs, they used foreign cars or inflated insurance claims by being hospitalized despite minor accidents.

Those who initially participated as simple passengers learned the criminal methods from the ringleaders and recruited accomplices using the same methods, repeatedly committing the crimes. According to the police, they also showed meticulousness by recruiting names of people with no accident history online to avoid the investigation net.

The Traffic Crime Investigation Team of Mapo Police Station found it suspicious that similar types of traffic accidents suspected to be intentional were occurring consecutively in their jurisdiction, so they obtained and analyzed insurance payment records from all insurance companies. The investigation team judged this as insurance fraud and immediately began investigations by arresting suspects and collecting evidence.

Over one year and five months, through more than 50 local trips and stakeouts, the investigation team arrested 144 members of the group and detained 11 ringleader-level suspects.

A representative of the Traffic Crime Investigation Team at Mapo Police Station stated, “Vehicles violating traffic regulations or changing lanes may become prey for insurance fraudsters, so it is necessary to strictly observe traffic rules while driving and maintain sufficient distance from the vehicle behind when changing lanes.” They added, “If you suspect an intentional traffic accident, you should actively report it by securing black box footage and visiting the nearest investigative agency.”

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