Police to launch national crackdown on young gangsters

Seoul, August 9 - The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) announced plans to launch a nationwide crackdown on organized crime and international offenses, targeting young gangsters involved in fraud, money laundering, and other illicit activities. The operation, set to commence on Monday and continue until October 31, will focus on high-yield financial crimes such as organized fraud, illegal private lending, online gambling, and money laundering.

Additionally, the KNPA intends to tackle criminals who flaunt their illicit wealth online to instill fear among the public and freeze criminal proceeds to disrupt funding sources.

On the international front, the KNPA aims to combat drug trafficking, with a specific emphasis on synthetic drugs like ketamine, as well as organized crimes involving foreign nationals. To achieve these goals, the agency plans to intensify intelligence gathering around foreigner communities, their workplaces, and nightlife districts.

The announcement of the crackdown coincides with a significant uptick in organized crime and international offenses during the first half of the year. From March 9 to June 30, police apprehended 1,185 gang members, a 9.7% increase from the previous period. Arrests also rose by 48.3%, with 225 individuals detained. Notably, 63.6% of the apprehended suspects were aged 30 or younger, with fraud accounting for the largest share of their offenses at 42.7%.

In the same four-month span, police apprehended a total of 641 individuals and detained 133. The overall number of foreign nationals booked by police surged by 9.1% to 18,130, with a 29% increase in drug-related crimes. The KNPA emphasized its commitment to continue cracking down on organized and international crimes, while strengthening intelligence gathering efforts in collaboration with relevant authorities.