Home > National > Social Affairs

Police arrest crime ring for luring wealthy victims abroad on golf trips for extortion

Published: 07 Aug. 2025, 13:46 Updated: 07 Aug. 2025, 16:54

Police execute a search warrant at a suspect’s residence. [GYEONGGI NAMBU PROVINCIAL POLICE AGENCY]

Police busted a crime ring that lured wealthy individuals on golf trips to Thailand and Cambodia to extort large sums of money through rigged gambling and false accusations of engaging in sex with a minor.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency’s international crime unit said on Thursday that it arrested 12 members of the crime ring on charges including blackmail. Six suspects, including the ringleader in their 60s, were taken into custody. One accomplice who managed operations in Thailand is also being sought for extradition.

From December 2022 to April 2024, the ring allegedly targeted six wealthy individuals by befriending them and luring them overseas, where they were framed for engaging in sex with a minor or scammed in rigged gambling games, ultimately swindling a total of 1.19 billion won ($860,000).

The ringleader met one of the victims at a golf gathering in November 2022 and built a relationship before offering a free trip to Thailand, claiming that they had won free tickets after making a hole-in-one, according to police. Once there, the group played golf while encouraging the victim to engage in acts with a sex worker. The scammers later claimed that the sex worker was underage and demanded 240 million won to cover up a potential “investigation.”

A GPS tracker hidden on the victim’s vehicle [GYEONGGI NAMBU PROVINCIAL POLICE AGENCY]

To track their movements, the ringleader even installed a GPS tracker on the victim’s car. In addition to blackmail, the ringleader is also being charged with violating the Act on the Protection and Use of Location Information.

During the investigation, police uncovered another scheme involving the same ringleader and six additional accomplices. From October 2023 to April 2024, they allegedly approached five new victims at golf driving ranges and invited them to Cambodia under the guise of a golf trip. There, the victims were coerced into gambling at a rigged casino, leading to losses totaling 950 million won.

The group assigned specific roles — including ringleader, recruiter and shill — and collaborated with local casino personnel in Cambodia to trap victims into incurring up to $700,000 in gambling debt. In one case, they faked a hostage situation involving a travel companion and extorted 680 million won in a single payment.

“Setups often ensnare victims without them realizing it, and the victims hesitate to report the incidents out of fear that they may be considered accomplices,” a police spokesperson said. “Demanding money under the threat of criminal charges is a crime, and we urge victims to report such cases to police immediately.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHOI MO-RAN [[email protected]]