'MZ gangsters' who are making a fortune - The police are launching an intensive crackdown

The police are intensifying their focus on organized fraud, money laundering and international drug trafficking associated with the so-called "MZ gang," a group of young individuals. According to a statement on October 9, the police will conduct a concentrated sweep from October 10 to October 31, targeting organized crime groups and international crime.

Their focus will be on organized fraud, illegal income generation, running gambling sites, and money laundering. Police believe these crimes are particularly concerning due to the difficulty in identifying perpetrators, their international connections, and the potential for high profits with minimal effort. The police plan to aggressively pursue both individual and organized criminal activity, even in cases of gang conflicts between rival groups.

In international crime cases, they will closely monitor drug trafficking and large-scale illegal activities, tracking drug supply routes and enhancing intelligence-gathering on foreign communities and businesses. They will also expand surveillance on foreign nationals involved in violent crimes and those using false identities or broker services.

The police are particularly concerned about crimes targeting foreign nationals with weak legal status, as these individuals may be hesitant to report crimes due to fears of deportation. To protect these individuals, the police plan to utilize a provision that exempts them from certain reporting obligations under the Alien Registration Act.

In 2023, the police apprehended 1,185 individuals for organized crime, 225 of whom were arrested, a 9.7% increase in arrests compared to the previous sweep. Of those arrested, 63.6% were under 30 years old, with 42.7% involved in fraud-related crimes. In the international crime category, 6,641 individuals were apprehended during the first half of the year, 133 of whom were arrested.

From January to June, 18,130 foreigners entered police custody, a 9.1% increase compared to the same period last year. Crime types showed a 29% increase in drug-related offenses to 1,189, and a 26% increase in gambling and gambling-related crimes to 323. Police officials stated they will continue to collaborate with related agencies and strengthen their proactive approach to combating organized and international crime.