Maebong Station Staff's Wit Catches Thief Through Reflected Afterimage on Platform Safety Door

On the 15th, an unidentified person trying to break open a coffee vending machine at Maebong Station platform was discovered by station staff
Knowing the CCTV blind spot, the suspect denied and demanded "show me the evidence"... Staff cleverly confirmed the crime scene on CCTV

A thief who attempted theft on the platform of Maebong Station on Seoul Subway Line 3 was caught red-handed by the crime scene reflected in the platform screen doors captured on CCTV.

Seoul Metro (President Baek Ho) announced that a Maebong Station employee contributed to the arrest by cleverly checking the afterimage reflected on the platform screen doors, which showed the thief prying open the door of a coffee vending machine installed on the subway platform.

At around 8:25 a.m. on the 15th, an unidentified man in his 50s got on and off the train at Maebong Station on Line 3. The man crossed to the opposite platform, looked around, and checked the CCTV locations for about five minutes. After confirming that no one was around, he started hanging on the vending machine and prying open its door.

Fortunately, Lee, a deputy station manager working on patrol at Maebong Station, discovered this, immediately subdued the suspect, and with the help of other staff, reported the incident to the police. The suspect tried to escape while causing a disturbance, but was also restrained.

The problem was that the suspect had planned the crime in advance, knowing it was a blind spot not covered by CCTV. When the police arrived at the scene and asked for detailed circumstances, the suspect firmly denied the crime, claiming he did not do it, and continued to cause a disturbance demanding the CCTV and other evidence.

While everyone was at a loss, Deputy Station Manager Lee showed quick thinking. Although there was no CCTV directly covering the area, he suggested checking the platform screen doors, as the act of prying open the vending machine door might be reflected there. As a result, it was confirmed that the platform screen doors acted like a mirror, recording the suspect prying open the vending machine door from the opposite side.

Fortunately, the theft was only attempted, but based on the footage reflected on the platform screen doors, the police have booked the suspect for property damage and are currently conducting an investigation.

Under Article 366 of the Criminal Act, violation of property damage laws is punishable by imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 7 million won, and under Article 371 of the same law, attempted crimes are also punishable.

The vending machine manager and repair technician, who came to the scene as witnesses, expressed concern about the spread of such theft incidents, which have been occurring recently.

Ma Hae-geun, Head of Sales at Seoul Metro, said, “Thanks to the station staff who diligently worked even on a Sunday morning, the suspect was quickly apprehended,” and added, “If you discover crimes or disorderly conduct in the subway, please report promptly to the police and company staff for swift action.”

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