Police will track down and investigate authors who post lure ads for "job scams," claiming high earnings overseas such as in Cambodia.
Park Jeong-bo, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner, said at a regular press briefing on Oct. 20 that a dedicated task force (TF) will be formed within the regional investigation unit to respond to cases involving the disappearance, kidnapping, and unlawful confinement of overseas Koreans.
The TF was formed with a total of 44 members, led by the Head of Team of the criminal mobile unit. When reports of kidnapping, confinement, or disappearance of overseas Koreans are received, this unit will take charge of the investigation.
Park, the Commissioner, said, "Until now, we have mostly deleted or blocked lure ads," and added, "From now on, we will actively investigate advertisers by tracing accounts and IPs."
He went on, "We will also provide advance information on illegal ads to operators of (job search) sites so they can self-regulate," adding, "If they post them despite knowing this, we will treat the operators as accomplices or aiders and take action."
Police will also set up a dedicated team to look into allegations against Prince Group, which has reportedly operated a large-scale scam complex in Cambodia. Park, the Commissioner, said, "We have obtained related intelligence and are analyzing it," adding, "If any criminal allegations are detected, we plan to launch an immediate investigation."
There have been 36 reports filed with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency related to kidnapping, disappearance, and other incidents in Cambodia. Of these, 14 missing-person reports were closed after the individuals' safety was confirmed, and the remaining 22 are under investigation. Even for the closed cases, authorities are checking whether the individuals were involved in crimes.
Earlier, a Korean woman in her 30s, identified as A, died on Oct. 7 in Vietnamese territory near the Cambodian border. A police official said, "I understand that one person (who was with the deceased woman) was questioned in Vietnam," adding, "We are in talks to share materials (from the Cambodian side)."
The deceased woman is suspected of having worked as a broker recruiting bank accounts for use as shells for a local criminal organization. Police are contacting people who claim to have been harmed by her to take their statements.