"Where Are You Going?" Pressing the Remote Firmly... Unmanned Store Thief Says "The Door Won't Open"

Caught Stealing Items on Security Camera

A thief who tried to steal items and escape from an unmanned grocery store in Seoul was trapped and arrested by the police due to a 'remotely controlled door.'

On the 6th, the official YouTube channel of the Seoul Police reported the case of thief Mr. A, who was arrested on the 20th of last month. On that day, Mr. A entered an unmanned grocery store and scooped items into a shopping basket he had brought himself. After filling the basket to the brim with groceries, he tried to leave without making a payment.

Burglar Mr. A struggling to remotely unlock a locked door [Image source=YouTube capture]

However, this scene was being monitored by the store owner, Mr. B, through security cameras installed inside the unmanned store. Mr. B remotely locked the door, and eventually, Mr. A became trapped inside the store.

The released camera footage captured Mr. A desperately trying to open the door. He pulled and pushed the door forcefully, but the already closed door did not budge. Thinking the door would open if he paid, he picked up one item from the basket and tried to pay, but the door remained firmly shut.

In a panic, Mr. A hid in the store’s storage room but was arrested by the police who arrived following Mr. B’s report.

Meanwhile, theft crimes targeting unmanned stores have been increasing recently. According to police statistics in 2022, the number of theft cases at unmanned stores nationwide was 6,018. The police began separately tracking theft cases at unmanned stores starting March 2021; from March to December of that year, there were 3,514 theft cases, but the following year during the same period, the number surged by 71%.

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