A large number of individuals involved in brokering prostitution and purchasing sexual services at officetels across the Seoul metropolitan area have been apprehended by the police.
The Crime Prevention and Order Division of the Incheon Police Agency announced on the 24th that it had arrested a man in his 30s, Mr. A, who operated a prostitution business, on charges of violating the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic. In addition, three managers and 67 women engaged in prostitution were booked without detention and referred to the prosecution.
The police also booked without detention 590 men in their 20s to 60s, including Mr. B, who purchased sexual services. Notably, 17 of these individuals were confirmed to be public officials or employees of public institutions, and the relevant agencies were notified of their misconduct.
Mr. A and others are suspected of renting more than 20 officetels in the metropolitan area from October 2022 to February of this year, and brokering prostitution for Mr. B and others. They are reported to have posted advertisements on prostitution brokerage websites and provided information on the time and location of the encounters to pre-booked clients via text messages, KakaoTalk, and Telegram.
In order to evade law enforcement crackdowns, Mr. A and his associates frequently changed office locations and used so-called "burner phones" and CCTV. They also systematically managed information such as the age, occupation, and physical characteristics of clients, and accepted payments exclusively in cash.
During the investigation, police identified that Mr. A and his group had accumulated 4 billion won in criminal proceeds, of which 1.2 billion won was frozen prior to indictment as a provisional seizure.
A police official stated, "Given the number of rented officetels, the scale of criminal proceeds, and the number of people booked, this constitutes a large-scale organized prostitution brokerage operation," adding, "Prostitution in officetels is prevalent nationwide, and we will continue crackdowns until it is eradicated."
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