A large group of suspects who habitually extorted cash by threatening arcade owners have been apprehended by the police.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Criminal Investigation Unit announced on the 18th that it had arrested 44 suspects on charges of habitual extortion, and that two of them, who have prior records for similar offenses, have been taken into custody.
According to the police, from August 2018 over a period of about six years, these suspects visited game arcades throughout Seoul and habitually demanded money, claiming "I have no money" or "I can't afford a meal." If their demands were not met, they would pick fights with employees and cause disturbances, driving customers away.
The police investigation revealed that the suspects extorted a total of approximately 104 million won from 29 victims at 22 game arcades. In particular, suspect A, who was taken into custody, extorted 19.26 million won over 156 incidents at 16 adult game arcades over about six years since February 2018. Among the suspects, two deceived victims by claiming they would "protect them from troublemakers," and extorted more than 13 million won.
A police official stated, "We will continue to expand investigations into covert crimes that infringe on the livelihoods of small business owners and the self-employed."
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