"Fired or Paid?"... Drunk Driving Vehicle Tail, Extortion Gang Arrested

Gyeongbuk Police Arrest Two Suspects for Intimidating and Extorting Money by Threatening "Drunk Driving Report"

Extortionists who followed drunk driving vehicles and extorted tens of millions of won from drivers have been caught by the police.

The Criminal Mobile Unit of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency announced on the 24th that they arrested and detained two suspects who extorted about 45 million won over 38 incidents targeting drunk drivers.

According to the police, from December 2023 to last April, over a period of about five months, they scouted and followed vehicles driven by intoxicated patrons leaving entertainment bars in Gyeongju and Pohang.

A vehicle overtaking a drunk driving car and stopping it. [Image source=Gyeongbuk Police Agency]

They are accused of threatening drivers getting out of their cars by saying things like, "I will report you for drunk driving. The fine exceeds 10 million won. You might get fired from your company. Let's settle for a few million won," and extorting money.

They reported drivers who did not immediately pay or transfer money to the police, and to conceal their crimes, they alternated using three rental cars and five mobile phones.

A representative of the Criminal Mobile Unit said, "We are continuously cracking down to eradicate crimes that infringe on people's livelihoods and are focusing on field-oriented criminal duties."