A person in their 40s who toured rural villages at night stealing metal drain covers was caught after a tip-off traced the haul to a secondhand trading platform. About 100 covers weighing a combined 2 tons were taken.
The Seogwipo Police Station in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province said on the 16th that it has arrested the suspect, identified only as A, and is investigating the case on theft charges. A is suspected of stealing more than 100 steel drain covers worth about 3 million won ($2,100) — a total of 2 tons — in eight separate incidents in the Namwon-eup area of Seogwipo between August and September, targeting locations without surveillance cameras at night.
A told police the thefts were committed to cover living expenses, according to investigators.
Residents filed a stream of complaints, but the absence of cameras at each site made the investigation difficult. The decisive lead came from a secondhand trading platform. A resident reported that a scrap dealer had posted a listing offering steel covers for sale.
Police investigated the dealer, confirmed that A had sold the stolen covers there and took the suspect into custody. They are now looking into the exact circumstances of the case, including how the stolen goods were distributed.
Stealing drain covers carries heavier penalties than ordinary property crimes because it can lead to safety accidents. When a cover is removed from a road, pedestrians or vehicles face a significant risk of falling in.
Under the criminal code, ordinary theft is punishable by up to six years in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won, but habitual theft committed repeatedly at night is subject to aggravated punishment. With the thefts continuing even as affected residents filed 20 to 30 reports each with police, some say an inspection is needed into how drain covers are managed in sparsely populated rural areas.