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| 2026-08-09 10:26:57
SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Yonhap) -- The national police said Sunday they will launch a nationwide crackdown on organized crime and international transgressions in the new week, with a focus on young gangsters turning to fraud and money laundering.
The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) said its special operations will begin Monday and run through Oct. 31. It will target high-yield financial crimes, such as organized fraud, illegal private lending, online gambling operations and money laundering.
The KNPA also plans to crack down on criminals flaunting their illicit wealth online to generate public fear, while also looking to freeze criminal proceeds to cut off funding sources.
On the international side, the KNPA said it will target drug trafficking, with a particular focus on synthetic drugs like ketamine, and organized crimes involving foreign nationals. The KNPA plans to intensify its intelligence gathering around foreigner communities and their workplaces, plus nightlife districts.
This crackdown comes on the heels of a marked increase in organized crime and international offenses in the first half of this year.
Between March 9 and June 30, police apprehended 1,185 gang members and arrested 225 -- a jump of 9.7 percent and 48.3 percent from the previous roundup, respectively.
Those in their 30s or younger accounted for 63.6 percent of the apprehended suspects, and fraud had the largest share of their offenses at 42.7 percent.
Over a four-month period in the first half of this year, police apprehended 641 and detained 133. The overall number of foreign nationals booked by police in the year's first half rose 9.1 percent from a year ago to 18,130. There was a 29 percent surge in drug-related crimes.
"In close cooperation with relevant authorities, we will continue to crack down on organized and international crimes and strengthen our intelligence gathering," the KNPA said.
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