The number of criminal suspects arrested in Southeast Asia has risen 2.5-fold and the number of fugitives repatriated from abroad 2.6-fold since the government launched a whole-of-government response to transnational crime, officials said. Reports of kidnapping, confinement and other abuses linked to scam operations in Cambodia fell 95%. The government said it will strengthen its response by directly raiding overseas criminal bases and arresting ringleaders and core operatives.
According to a report on the first year of the whole-of-government response to transnational crime, released by the government on the 21st, 834 criminal suspects were arrested in Southeast Asia between January and September this year, about 2.5 times the 340 arrested in the same period last year. Repatriations of fugitives from abroad rose about 2.6-fold to 655 from 254. Reports of kidnapping, confinement and similar abuses tied to Cambodian scam operations plunged 95.1% to 19 cases from 386.
The government began its whole-of-government response to transnational crime last year after a South Korean university student was kidnapped and killed in Cambodia, among other cases. On Oct. 23 last year, President Lee Jae-myung ordered an all-out response combining investigative, diplomatic, judicial and financial capabilities at a meeting of relevant ministers. On Dec. 29 of the same year, a special task force on transnational crime was launched with the participation of 10 agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Financial Services Commission, the National Intelligence Service, the Public Prosecution Service and the Korean National Police Agency.
The government then worked with authorities in Cambodia and elsewhere in Southeast Asia to conduct intensive raids on scam ring bases. After forcibly repatriating 64 suspects involved in Cambodian scam operations by charter flight on Oct. 18 last year, it set up a "Korea desk," a joint Korean-Cambodian police unit, in the country in November. On Nov. 27, it arrested Li Guangho, a Chinese national identified as the main perpetrator in the kidnapping and killing of the South Korean university student.
On Jan. 23 this year, 73 suspects accused of defrauding 869 South Koreans of about 48.6 billion won ($34 million) were repatriated in a single operation, which the government described as the largest such group repatriation on record. Fourteen South Korean members of a scam ring who had set up a new base in Kazakhstan to evade the crackdown in Cambodia were also arrested and brought home on July 23.
The repatriation of long-term fugitives was also cited as a major achievement. Park Wang-yeol, who had been held in the Philippines on drug distribution charges, was repatriated on March 25 after President Lee personally requested his transfer at a summit with the Philippines earlier that month. Based on leads obtained during the subsequent investigation into Park, the government also arrested and repatriated drug supplier Choi Byung-min from Thailand.
Investigations into large illegal gambling operations also continued. Working with authorities in the United Arab Emirates, the government arrested the ringleader of an illegal gambling website operation worth 10 trillion won and repatriated the ringleader on July 4. On the 14th of this month, a senior operative ranking just below the ringleader of a 3 trillion won illegal gambling website was also repatriated.
The government said stronger interagency cooperation has also helped reduce crime victimization at home. As of September this year, voice phishing cases totaled 9,333, down 50.2% from a year earlier, while losses fell 57.5% to 419.6 billion won. Drug seizures came to 1,339 kilograms in the January-September period. Looking only at seizures of drugs intended for entry into South Korea, the figure rose 104% from a year earlier, a record high, the government said.
Going forward, the government plans to block the foundations of criminal organizations by linking raids on overseas bases, the arrest and repatriation of ringleaders, the tracing and recovery of criminal proceeds, and victim protection. It also said it would use a system for suspending transactions on accounts suspected of involvement in new types of phishing, which took effect in June, and legislation on independent confiscation passed by the National Assembly in August to cut off criminal funds.
"Based on the president's strong commitment and organic cooperation among relevant agencies, the government will marshal all of its capabilities until transnational crime that threatens the lives and property of the people is eradicated," a government official said.