A (49), a ‘special pickpocket’ with a criminal history of 10 offenses including theft, was caught and handed over to the prosecution after committing another crime just two months after being released.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s subway police force announced on the 16th that A (49) was arrested on charges of theft for stealing wallets and other items from citizens during peak commuting hours in the subway and that he was sent to prosecutors on the 6th of last month.
A is accused of stealing 2,094,000 won worth of cash and wallets on four occasions from subway trains during commuting hours between October 13 of last year and February 13 of this year.
A resumed criminal activities just two months after his release as a 10-time offender for theft and others. The police spotted A while conducting surveillance at the express bus terminal station and arrested him after tracking him down at Yeouido station.
The police also arrested B (52) for stealing 300,000 won in cash from a pedestrian's bag in the subway, who was sent to prosecutors on the 13th of last month. B is a 12-time offender for theft and others, who stole cash from a pedestrian's bag on the escalator at Myeongdong station on February 26, just six months after his release, using the money for food and lodging.
The police apprehended B by analyzing footage from over 80 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras after receiving a theft report and conducting inquiries and surveillance, catching B who was loitering in the Myeongdong station lobby.
The subway police force in Seoul detected 109 cases of ‘assisting’ while actually stealing belongings from intoxicated individuals in the subway and 39 cases of pickpocketing last year. However, compared to 2023, this represents a decrease of 72.1% and 20.4%, respectively. In the two years of 2023 and 2024, 40 ‘assisters’ were caught, along with 13 pickpockets and 19 thieves.
The police conducted preventive activities such as night train patrols and joint patrols with subway security officers from Seoul Transportation Corporation, analyzing that subway theft crimes have decreased based on crime data. From September of last year, when night train patrols began, the number of 112 reports was 4,313 over six months, which is a 14.9% decrease compared to the six months prior to the implementation of patrols (5,071 reports).