"Robbed 10 Times"... Unmanned Store Owner Catches Thief After Stakeout

Lock the Door from Outside and Report to Police
Theft Cases Increase Along with the Rise of Unmanned Stores

The owner of an unmanned ice cream store, who had repeatedly been robbed of products, finally caught the culprit himself after staking out for more than two hours.

Checking payment records and inventory discrepancies... Man stole products worth 300,000 won over 10 times

A man in his 30s was caught red-handed by the store owner who was lying in wait after continuously stealing products at an unmanned ice cream store in Ulsan.
[Image source=Ulsan Police Agency]

On the 3rd, Yonhap News reported that the owner of an unmanned store caught a man who had stolen products worth about 300,000 won over more than 10 occasions from last month on the 7th until recently, and handed him over to the police.

Earlier, Mr. A, who operates an unmanned ice cream store in Jung-gu, Ulsan, discovered a discrepancy between sales and inventory while organizing stock at the end of last month. The unmanned information terminal (kiosk) showed no payment records, but the products were missing. Feeling something was wrong, Mr. A reviewed the store's closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage and confirmed scenes of a man, estimated to be in his 30s, frequently entering the store, putting ice cream, snacks, and drinks into a bag, and leaving without paying.

The CCTV footage clearly showed the man stealing products worth about 300,000 won over more than 10 occasions from last month on the 7th until recently. Each time, he wore black shorts and a short-sleeved T-shirt, did not cover his face, and carried ice cream and snacks in a bag as he left. On some days, he entered the store twice and took products.

After staking out, 'store owner personally apprehends'... When the suspected thief picked up items, the door was locked from outside and police were called

Angered, Mr. A identified that the man usually came between 1 and 3 a.m. and staked out on the 30th of last month and the 1st of this month but was unsuccessful. Then, on the night of the 2nd, Mr. A saw the man carrying some snacks and thought he might come again, so he and his husband parked their car in front of the store and waited. After about two hours, a man matching the description of the usual thief appeared. As he entered the store and picked up items, Mr. A’s husband locked the store entrance with a padlock he had prepared in advance.

At the same time, Mr. A called the police, and the man, trapped inside the store and unable to escape, was arrested by the police who arrived a few minutes later. Mr. A, who had been robbed two months after opening the store, said, "It was scary, as if someone had broken into my home," but added, "Still, I’m relieved that we caught him." The Jungbu Police Station in Ulsan has booked the man on theft charges and is investigating the motive, duration, and exact amount of damages.

Theft cases surge as unmanned stores increase... Police investigation resources stretched thin

As the number of unmanned stores increases, related theft cases continue to rise. According to statistics released by the National Police Agency, thefts at unmanned stores reached 6,018 cases in 2022. This is a 71% increase compared to the 3,514 cases recorded from March to December 2021, when statistics collection began. As theft reports at unmanned stores increase, the workload of on-site police officers has also grown. Additionally, since many of these theft cases involve small amounts, police investigative resources are becoming dispersed.