A new type of organized crime ring that fed fake whisky to heavily intoxicated customers in a busy district of Busan and then inflated their tabs to steal money was rounded up by police in large numbers. They even committed abuses such as forcing lower-ranking members to self-harm, and the reality of the crimes came to light after members who could not endure it reported them.
On the 9th, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency's Major Crime Investigation Unit said it arrested the ringleader, a man in his 30s identified as A, and booked 60 others including members of the group on charges including fraud and organizing a criminal group, for running five entertainment bars around Seomyeon in Busanjin District, Busan, and manufacturing and selling fake whisky.
According to police, A and others formed a criminal organization with roles divided among a ringleader, madams, waiters, and touts, and from Apr. 2022 to Sept. 2024 lured drunken patrons into their establishments and sold fake whisky.
The main targets were men who were drunk alone. When a tout brought a customer to the venue, the waiter induced advance payment via internet banking or cash card withdrawals, and it was found that they learned the phone's lock pattern and password.
They then served fake whisky, made by mixing black tea into whisky left over by other customers, as if it were a new product. Hostesses and hosts kept urging the customer to drink, and if the customer did not fall asleep easily, they were found to have turned on a heater or increased the number of fake whisky orders.
When the customer fell asleep, they placed additional empty whisky bottles on the table to inflate the bill as if more alcohol had been consumed than in reality. They then transferred money to accounts or withdrew cash using the passwords learned in advance, it was found.
Police estimate that about 1,000 people likely suffered harm from them, and that the ledgered sales of fake whisky amounted to about 3.5 billion won. Police have secured statements from 58 victims so far and identified their losses at about 100 million won.
However, the entire 3.5 billion won recorded in the ledgers has not been confirmed as fraud losses. Police explained that many were reluctant to testify as victims because they did not want it known that they had visited entertainment bars.
Violence and abuses were used to manage members. Members who tried to run away because the work was hard or failed to meet their daily quotas were forced to self-harm, and some were made to do "unlimited running" at a gym. It was found that some members were made to strike their own fingers with a hammer.
In the end, six members could not endure the abuses and reported to police, beginning to reveal the full picture of the crimes.
A's side was found to have sometimes confined in a vehicle the member who reported them after they discovered the report by conducting random checks of members' cellphones. Police tracked the vehicle and, working with the 112 control center and local precincts, arrested A.
A police official said, "It appears that the executive-level members, including A, were seniors and juniors to one another, and the lower-ranking members were recruited through social media (SNS)," adding, "What sets them apart is that they are not a traditional organized crime gang but an organization created for a specific crime."
After arresting A, police issued Interpol red notices for two accomplices who fled overseas. They seized virtual currency worth about 200 million won, identified as having been prepared as these suspects' fugitive funds, and obtained a pre-indictment preservation order for forfeiture from a court.