Members of an archery club were caught by police after hunting black goats that residents had been raising by grazing them in the hills of Gangseo District, Busan.
According to a report by Yonhap News on the 28th, the Gangseo Police in Busan apprehended nine members of the archery club, including a person identified as A, for habitual theft and violation of the Animal Protection Act, as well as two members of the wildlife capture team identified as B. They are accused of illegally hunting 14 black goats from early April last year to April this year in the hills near Saebajina and Oepo Port on the island of Gaduk in Gangseo District.
The black goats were livestock that two nearby residents had built a barn for and were grazing in the mountain. The members of the archery club allegedly carried out their capture operations using recreational bows, specifically a 'compound bow,' while many were together. It is reported that the meat obtained was shared among them.
The recreational bow is said not to be included in the police's management of firearms and bladed weapons. However, it has been reported that the members of the archery club modified their arrowheads to increase their lethality.
Two members of the wildlife capture team, who were targeting wild boars and other animals, used snares to catch the black goats. When they were discovered by nearby residents while butchering the goat on site, one of them fled into the hills, while the other attempted to escape by climbing a coastal cliff or swimming.
The police are expanding their investigation, believing that there may be other charges against them. A police official told Yonhap News, 'Considering the nature of their offenses, their mobile phone usage records, the number of accomplices, and their criminal history, we believe there may have been additional offenses and are continuing to investigate.'