Police arrest 72 ”subway thieves” in the past two years - South Korea

As a result of the South Korean police stepping up subway patrols, 72 professional thieves and other related criminals have been arrested over the past two years, and reports of theft have dropped significantly.
On the 16th, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's subway police unit conducted a patrol and focused investigation into theft methods, and discovered a man who pretended to help a drunk person last year.
The police said that there has been a significant decrease in drunk thieves and pickpockets who steal money by using their phones. According to the police, there were 390 cases of drunk thieves on the subway in 2023, which is one-third of last year's level (
The number of pickpocketing cases also decreased by 10 from 49 cases in the year before last to 39 cases one year later. From 2023 to last year, the police arrested a total of 72 people, including 40 thieves, 13 pickpockets, and 19 thieves.
The police attributed the reduction in subway thefts to various patrol activities and the use of data. Seoul City Hall's subway police have been riding on electric trains at night since September last year to investigate the insides.
The number of reports dropped by 15% in the six months before and after the electric vehicles were introduced. In addition, the police conducted a six-month program from September last year to February this year to protect drunk drivers and to provide assistance to elderly and foreign volunteers.
As a result, last month the police caught and arrested two professional pickpockets. On February 28 this year, the police arrested a man who had stolen a bag of a victim on a train during rush hour.
A man in his 40s, A, was arrested at Yeouido Station on suspicion of stealing a wallet from a woman who was in a car and was detained on the 2nd of last month.
An undercover investigation was conducted at the home and A was discovered. A had 10 previous convictions and was released from prison in August last year. Over a four-month period starting on October 13 last year, he stole 2,094,000 won worth of cash and a wallet four times.
Police also arrested a 52-year-old man, B, who stole 300,000 won in cash from a victim's bag on the subway on the 5th of last month. B, who has 12 previous convictions for theft, etc., is also accused of theft.
It was revealed that in the six months since his release, he had committed pickpocketing around Myeongdong Station to cover his food and lodging expenses. A Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency subway security unit said, "Pickpocketing on the subway is common in crowded trains during rush hour and after work hours.
"This mainly occurs on trains and platforms, so residents who use bags with open zippers need to be especially careful."