Minors Arrested for Stealing and Selling Motorcycle License Plates

A group of minors who stole motorcycle license plates from unattended bikes and sold them through social networking service (SNS) have been apprehended by police.
Seongbuk Police Station in Seoul announced on the 22nd that they had arrested four individuals for stealing and selling motorcycle license plates, along with 20 people who purchased the stolen plates.
The four suspects are accused of removing motorcycle license plates from unattended bikes in areas such as Seongbuk-gu and Nowon District between January and April, then selling them via SNS. The total number of stolen motorcycle license plates reached 29.
Investigations revealed that all four individuals who stole and sold the license plates were minors. Of the 20 buyers, 19 were also underage.
The group operated in an organized manner, dividing roles among themselves. One person stole the motorcycle license plates, two others promoted and sold them through SNS using parcel delivery, and the last member lent a bank account to help launder the proceeds from the illegal sales.
They used coded language to evade illegal post monitoring systems.
Police launched an investigation after discovering a case in April where a stolen motorcycle license plate was attached to a bike in operation. They tracked related activities through SNS and began a full-scale probe.
A police official stated, "Recently, trading of both tangible and intangible goods through SNS promotional posts has become commonplace. Because these posts cleverly bypass illegal content monitoring systems using coded language, it has become easier to sell illicit goods."
The official added, "Even if traffic laws are violated or criminal acts are committed, it is becoming more difficult for investigative agencies to track down suspects, increasing the risk of further crimes."
jyseo@fnnews.com Seo Ji-yoon Reporter