"Man Who Falsely Reported 'Pickpocketed 7 Million Won' Sent to Prosecution"

Charge of Obstructing Official Duties through Abuse of Authority

A man who falsely reported being pickpocketed to delay a repayment deadline amid overdue debt was handed over to the prosecution.

On the 27th, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Subway Police Unit announced that they had sent a man in his 20s, Mr. A, to the prosecution on the 8th on charges of obstruction of official duties by deception. Around June 27, the police received a report stating, "My bag was torn and 7 million won was pickpocketed on the subway," and analyzed over 100 nearby CCTV cameras in subway stations and underground shopping malls to track the pickpocket.

While tracing Mr. A's movements, the police discovered that he purchased a razor at a convenience store, tore his own bag, and falsely reported the incident.

According to the police investigation, Mr. A planned the crime to delay the repayment deadline amid overdue debt of 4.5 million won borrowed from an acquaintance earlier this year.

Mr. A bought the razor himself, cut the bag, and then called 112 in front of the creditor, pretending to be a victim of pickpocketing.

Furthermore, even after the case was filed, he caused confusion in the investigation by submitting false statements and providing unclear descriptions of the crime scene, causing the police to track CCTV footage for 16 days and resulting in a waste of police resources.