40s 'Pontwi' Scam Artist Caught... Pretending to Be a Customer, Roaming Phone Stores to Snatch Phones

Ulsan Nambu Police Station "Stole 7 High-End Mobile Phones and Exchanged Them at a Pawnshop"

A man in his 40s who pretended to purchase a new cellphone but stole the product and then exchanged it for cash at a pawnshop was caught.

The Ulsan Nambu Police Station announced on the 28th that they have apprehended Mr. A, who committed thefts by visiting cellphone stores in Busan, Ulsan, and the Gyeongnam area, and are investigating him on theft charges.

According to the police, on January 18th at around 7:15 p.m., Mr. A entered a cellphone store in Nam-gu, Ulsan, and while consulting about a purchase, stole two iPhones worth about 3.4 million won from the display case while the employee was distracted.

Immediately after the crime, Mr. A fled to his home in Busan by alternating between intercity buses and the subway.

The police analyzed about 150 CCTV cameras installed along the escape route after receiving a report, located the suspect’s residence, and arrested Mr. A after a stakeout.

It is known that Mr. A pawned the stolen cellphones at pawnshops in Busan and Ulsan, exchanging them for cash at prices ranging from 300,000 to 1.2 million won per device.

The police confirmed that Mr. A stole a total of seven cellphones worth about 12 million won in five separate incidents in Ulsan, Busan, and Yangsan, Gyeongnam.

Ulsan Nambu Police Station.

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