Police Request Arrest Warrants for 59 Kingdom of Cambodia Deportees; One Rejected by Prosecution

[Financial News] The police have requested arrest warrants for 59 out of 64 suspects extradited from the Kingdom of Cambodia. Of these, one warrant was rejected by the Prosecution Service.
The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) announced on the 20th that as of 10 a.m., arrest warrants had been requested for 58 of the 64 deported suspects, while five had been released.
Of the five released, four were freed because the police did not request arrest warrants, and one was released after the Prosecution Service declined to seek a warrant.
For one remaining suspect, an arrest warrant issued prior to deportation was executed.
By region, all 45 suspects transferred to the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency had arrest warrants requested and filed. The Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency received 15 suspects, released three, and is awaiting detention review for 11. Seodaemun Police Station in Seoul applied for an arrest warrant for one suspect, but the Prosecution Service rejected it. Additionally, Daejeon Police Station and Gimpo Police Station, Gyeonggi, each requested a warrant for one suspect. Wonju Police Station, Gangwon, received one suspect on fraud charges between acquaintances and released the individual.
A police official stated, "As this is an ongoing investigation, we cannot disclose specific reasons for the releases."
Since July, the police have received lists of Korean suspects arrested by Kingdom of Cambodia authorities during crackdowns on local phishing call centers.
Subsequently, the Chungnam and Gyeonggi Bukbu agencies were designated as primary investigative units, leading efforts to verify and investigate domestic victims and substantiate the charges. With the recent deportations, authorities expect to accelerate their investigations by securing custody of the suspects from the local call centers.
The Chungnam agency is currently investigating cases of romance scams, investment scam chatrooms, voice phishing (vishing), and no-show fraud committed from late last year through July. The Gyeonggi Bukbu agency is probing romance scam cases that occurred from March to April.
During post-deportation interrogations, police obtained statements from three to four suspects claiming they were subjected to confinement and assault by scam center operatives. Authorities are working to verify these accounts.
All deported suspects tested negative in preliminary drug screenings, and more comprehensive tests are underway. The police conducted these tests with the suspects' consent.
The police plan to investigate not only the suspects' criminal charges but also the circumstances of their entry and exit, the structure of the criminal organizations, the status of scam centers, personnel supply and recruitment networks, local abduction and confinement cases, and potential drug use, thereby addressing all suspicions related to scam centers in the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Particular focus will be placed on uncovering links between overseas accomplices and domestic criminal networks.
unsaid@fnnews.com Kang Myung-yeon Reporter