Police refer three Russians to prosecutors for pickpocketing wallets inside Seoul subways

▲ This photo provided by the subway police of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency shows a Russian ring accused of pickpocketing inside subways in Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ This photo, provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, shows an example of the role division within the pickpocketing ring. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

pickpocketing ring-police

Police refer three Russians to prosecutors for pickpocketing wallets inside Seoul subways

SEOUL, Nov. 22 (Yonhap) -- Police have referred three Russian nationals to the prosecution with detention on charges of pickpocketing wallets from passengers inside subways in Seoul on multiple occasions this month, officials said Wednesday.

The pickpocketing ring is accused of snatching cash and gift cards worth some 200,000 won (US$154) from passengers on Seoul's Subway Line No. 9 from Nov. 3 to 4, and stealing 394,000 won in total from passengers the following week.

The ring members reportedly each undertook the roles of blocking the victim from getting off the subway, and interrupting the view of other people by following behind the victim while another suspect seized the wallet.

The three suspects had conspired to commit the crime before entering the country on Nov. 1 and had plans to flee to Russia within 15 days, according to officials.

Police launched an investigation after receiving a report of a robbed wallet, and arrested them inside a subway train at Myeongdong Station last week after detecting them through security cameras. They confiscated the suspects' possessions of three cell phones, 5.587 million won worth of cash, and gift certificates amounting to 1.54 million won.

During police investigations, the suspects denied their wrongdoing, saying they came to South Korea for the purpose of tourism and shopping, but police countered their claim, citing their subway riding history of 45 hours since their arrival.

The police plan to continue their investigations by analyzing the digital forensics result of the cell phones.

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