A man in his 60s who habitually stole guests' cash and valuables while making the rounds of wedding halls in the greater Seoul area has been sent to prosecutors under detention.
Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station said on Apr. 1 that on Mar. 27 it referred A, a man in his 60s, to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office under arrest on suspicion of theft.
A is accused of stealing guests' cash and valuables at wedding halls in Seoul and Incheon from October last year through March.
According to the police investigation, A targeted guests carrying large amounts of cash near the gift money reception desk, then sat beside them pretending to be part of their group and committed the theft.
Police found that A chose wedding halls near subway stations as crime locations and tried to evade tracking by moving on purpose into alleys without closed-circuit (CC)TV or by fare-dodging on the subway.
Through route tracking and other methods, police identified A as a suspect and made an emergency arrest on Mar. 21 in Jongno District, Seoul.
A reportedly spent most of the stolen money on living expenses and entertainment.
A police official said, "With wedding season underway, theft targeting cash and valuables at wedding halls may become rampant," and added, "If you leave your bag or coat unattended while moving, you could become a target of crime, so please be careful."