Jeju Police Agency Arrests 116 Individuals Including Gangsters Involved in Group Assaults and Brothel Owners

Published 13 Sep.2022 11:04(KST)

[Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Jeongpil] The Jeju Police Agency arrested a total of 116 people, including 9 gangsters who collectively assaulted and confined members of a rival organization, 2 gangsters who threatened prostitution business owners, 6 prostitution business owners, 17 prostitutes, and 82 male clients, and detained 5 of them.

According to the Jeju Police Agency on the 13th, 9 members of the A faction forcibly took 2 followers of the rival B faction to a public cemetery on June 17, then assaulted them with weapons causing fractures and other injuries, and confined them in a vehicle.

Immediately after the incident, the police arrested 3 followers of the A faction who led the violent acts and detained them on charges of special assault and special confinement. On the 5th, an additional 6 accomplices, including A faction members involved in the crime, were sent for prosecution on charges of special confinement.

Also, 2 members of the same A faction extorted a total of 18.25 million won from prostitution business operators in the Jeju area under the pretext of protection fees by flaunting their gangster status from July 2020 to March 2022.

After receiving intelligence in February this year that gangsters were extorting protection fees from prostitution establishments, the police arrested 2 A faction members on charges of blackmail.

In relation to this, a total of 105 people were arrested (3 detained), including 6 prostitution business operators, 17 prostitutes, and 82 male clients. It was also confirmed that the gangsters supplied burner phones to prostitution business owners and responded to malicious customers.

From January to last month, the Jeju Police arrested 51 gangsters involved in illegal activities, detaining 8 of them. When receiving intelligence about gang member meetings, they operated joint response teams from the early stages to issue stern warnings and deploy personnel on site proactively.

A Jeju Police official said, “We will continue to crack down on violent organizations and manage them systematically, and respond strongly when organized violent crimes occur,” adding, “During the intensive crackdown period on organized violent crimes in the second half of the year, we will focus investigative efforts on violent organizations’ infringement on ordinary citizens’ lives, corporate-type and intelligent illegal activities, and drug crimes, while also working to cut off organizational funds.”

He continued, “If you have suffered or witnessed crimes by gangsters, we guarantee the confidentiality of the reporter’s identity and provide victim protection measures, so we ask for active reporting and cooperation.”