Jeju Casino 14.5 Billion Won Theft: Chinese Suspect Repatriated to Korea ... Investigation Resumes After One Year

Main Suspect Hard to Secure, Investigation Halted... Chinese National A Detained in Dubai

A Chinese suspect accused of embezzling funds worth approximately 14.5 billion KRW from the Landing Casino within Jeju Shinhwa World in Seogwipo City, Jeju, will be summoned to South Korea. The photo shows the exterior view of the foreigner-only casino at Jeju Shinhwa World. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Bora Lee] The Chinese suspect accused of embezzling approximately 14.5 billion KRW from the Landing Casino at Jeju Shinhwa World has been apprehended. With this, the halted investigation will resume after more than a year.

According to Jeju Police Agency on the 2nd, Mr. A, a Chinese man in his 30s and one of the prime suspects in the case where 14.56 billion KRW disappeared from the casino in early last year, arrived at Incheon International Airport around 4:50 PM after departing from Dubai.

The police plan to arrest Mr. A and bring him to Jeju. An arrest warrant had already been issued for Mr. A, who was on Interpol’s red notice, and a detention warrant will be requested depending on the investigation results.

Earlier, Lamjeong Entertainment, which operates the Landing Casino, reported to the police on January 4th last year that 14.56 billion KRW in cash stored at the casino had vanished. At that time, the prime suspects identified by the police were Mr. B, a Malaysian executive in his 50s who managed funds at the Landing Casino, and Mr. A, an employee of a casino agent company who assisted him. Both fled abroad, including to China, immediately after the incident.

The police found approximately 8.5 billion KRW, believed to be part of the missing money, in another VIP-only safe within the storage room. Additionally, about 4.9 billion KRW was discovered at a location in Jeju City where the suspects had stayed.

The police have entrusted 13.4 billion KRW, which accounts for 90% of the reported 14.56 billion KRW, to a bank in the Jeju area. The remaining approximately 1 billion KRW is suspected to have been sent overseas through illegal remittance.

Investigations into the other four suspects have been conducted, but due to difficulties in securing the custody of the main suspects Mr. A and Mr. B, the investigation had been suspended. With Mr. A’s arrival, the police can now resume the investigation. A police official stated, "We have captured the key suspect of the case through international cooperative investigation and initiated repatriation procedures," adding, "We plan to investigate the detailed circumstances of the case as soon as the suspect is secured."

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