Acquaintance Of Jewelry Store Owner Arrested For Fleeing With Customers' 3,000 Don Of Gold

Court: "Risk of destroying evidence and fleeing"
Fled with gold items entrusted by customers

A close acquaintance of a jewelry store owner has been arrested after fleeing with 3,000 don of gold, including precious metals entrusted by customers, at a time when gold prices are soaring.

On the afternoon of the 23rd, Lee Jong-rok, chief judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, conducted a pretrial detention hearing (substantive warrant review) for a man in his 40s, identified as Mr. A, who is accused of fraud, and issued an arrest warrant, citing "concerns about destruction of evidence and risk of flight."

Gold products are displayed at a jewelry store in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Not directly related to the article.

Mr. A is suspected of fleeing on the 12th with precious metals that customers had entrusted for purposes such as processing work, as well as gold bars and cash sent to place orders, from a jewelry store located in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Mr. A voluntarily appeared at Hyehwa Police Station in Seoul on the 21st and was arrested.

The police have received numerous complaints claiming damage caused by Mr. A, and the total amount of losses is estimated to reach several billion won. Mr. A was initially known to be directly running the jewelry store where the crime took place, but it has since been reported that he was in fact an acquaintance of the store owner who had been independently conducting business within the store.