Korean scam ring busted in Almaty in joint operation with Kazakhstan

South Korean authorities have dismantled a scam ring operating in Kazakhstan, as part of a joint operation with their Central Asian neighbors, according to national police reports. The task force apprehended 14 members of the organization in Almaty on July 23, while five others residing in South Korea were also arrested, bringing the total number of suspects to 19. All suspects are Korean nationals.

The operation, dubbed "Ine," which means "needle" in Kazakh, aimed to burst the "balloon effect" of Southeast Asian scam organizations relocating to Central Asia, following intensified crackdowns in Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia and Vietnam. The Almaty ring, originally based in Cambodia, moved to Kazakhstan via Vietnam in April. Authorities cite Kazakhstan's robust IT infrastructure, ease of land escape, and comfortable living conditions for the ring's relocation.

The scam ring swindled approximately 600 million won (US$421,000) from 16 domestic victims by impersonating government officials. They set up a call center in Almaty and convinced victims that their accounts were involved in criminal activity, leading to voluntary transfers of money to the scam ring. The arrested members range in age from their 20s to 40s, with all suspects being men except for one woman in her 30s. All 14 suspects arrested in Kazakhstan have been repatriated to South Korea since July 28.