Jewelry worth tens of millions stolen in an instant... Gold and silver shop targeted by 'robbery and theft'

Police Launch Strong Crackdown and Proactive Measures

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] At the end of last year and the beginning of this year, a series of theft crimes targeting jewelry stores occurred, prompting the police to enforce strict crackdowns and call for heightened vigilance.

On the 27th, the National Police Agency announced that it had uncovered six theft cases targeting jewelry stores during the year-end and New Year period and arrested 15 suspects. These crimes occurred indiscriminately across regions including Seoul, Busan, Incheon, and Gwangju.

On the afternoon of the 23rd of last month, one suspect was arrested for stealing gold items worth approximately 7.6 million KRW, including a gold bracelet, from a jewelry store in Busan. On December 31st and January 1st in Gwangju, two suspects disguised as customers fled after wearing precious metals worth about 12 million KRW, including gold necklaces, from two jewelry stores and were apprehended.

Theft incidents targeting jewelry stores continued ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. In the early morning of the 20th of this month, four suspects were caught by the police after breaking the glass window of a jewelry store in Gwangju and stealing precious metals worth approximately 70 million KRW. On the 21st, five suspects were arrested in Incheon for stealing precious metals worth about 17 million KRW using a similar method.

In response to the surge in crimes targeting jewelry stores, the police have initiated proactive preventive measures and established a multi-dimensional and comprehensive investigation system. First, the police plan to deploy crime prevention diagnosis teams to periodically assess vulnerabilities in jewelry stores by region and enhance their own crime prevention capabilities by improving security facilities. They will also hold meetings with associations and organizations related to precious metals to establish a joint response system and urge the industry to exercise special caution.

Additionally, by analyzing local security demands, the police will deploy criminal investigation personnel focusing on areas and times with frequent incidents, strengthen base placements and patrols to prevent crimes in advance. Since there is a high possibility that the gang stealing precious metals will resell them as stolen goods, the police will trace the distribution routes backward to recover stolen items and simultaneously eradicate crimes involving stolen goods.

A police official urged, “We ask the related industry to exercise special caution by verifying the identity of sellers when purchasing precious metals and to promptly report any suspicious cases.”