A Man in His 50s Steals Phone from Drunk Subway Passenger... Found to Have 7 Previous Theft Records

A man in his 50s who targeted intoxicated passengers on the subway and stole their phones only in areas without CCTV has been arrested.

On the 17th, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Subway Police Unit announced that they had arrested a man in his 50s, identified as Mr. A, on charges of theft.

According to the police, Mr. A is accused of stealing phones dropped by intoxicated passengers who fell asleep in subway cars and on platforms where CCTV was not installed, then selling them to so-called "Heundeuli" (fence) for 200,000 to 400,000 KRW. The police also revealed that Mr. A committed three phone thefts between August and November.

After receiving a report of a phone theft on August 11, the police analyzed over 100 CCTV cameras at the location, conducted surveillance and stakeouts, identified Mr. A’s identity, obtained an arrest warrant, and apprehended him.

It was found that Mr. A committed these crimes even while under investigation by the prosecution following his referral on April 21 for special theft charges. Mr. A has a history of being caught seven times and arrested three times for theft on the subway.

The police are continuing their investigation to gather clues about the criminal organization, as some of the stolen phones were confirmed to have been smuggled to Shandong Province, China, through a fencing network.

Meanwhile, on November 30, during a preventive patrol against the subway pickpocketing method called "Buchukppaegi" (pretending to assist while pickpocketing), a man in his 50s, Mr. B, was arrested on the 2nd for attempting to steal a phone from the inner pocket of a coat worn by a drunken victim asleep on the train.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Subway Police Unit emphasized, "It is important to develop the habit of keeping your phone in a bag or pocket when returning home by subway after year-end and New Year drinking gatherings, and if theft or loss occurs, report it to the police promptly."

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