"Mr. Kim, how about a round of betting golf?"...Drugged drinks and rigged screen system

[The Financial News] A gang that secretly laced drinks with psychotropic drugs during betting screen golf games and even tampered with the screen direction to steal tens of millions of won in stakes has been arrested by police.
The Criminal Investigation Mobile Unit, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, announced on the 11th that it had arrested nine people who rigged betting games at screen golf venues in the Seoul Capital Area on charges of fraud and violating the Narcotics Control Act, and detained two men in their 50s, identified as A and B, as the main suspects.
According to police, the suspects are accused of playing betting golf games with victims at screen golf facilities across the Seoul Capital Area, secretly putting psychotropic drugs into the victims’ drinks to undermine their concentration, and using a remote control just before impact to change the direction of the screen in order to fix the outcome.
They first identified victims who appeared to be well-off through golf clubs or regular golf venues, then approached them by bonding over a shared hobby. After that, they casually suggested betting golf games, set stakes, and proceeded with the matches.
The group prepared a remote control and a USB receiver to manipulate the screen golf system remotely, and some members mixed Lorazepam, a psychotropic drug, into the victims’ drinks. Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety and insomnia; it suppresses central nervous system activity and can cause drowsiness and reduced concentration. Benzodiazepines are the same class of drugs reported to have been used in the recent Gangbuk motel murder case, and can be life-threatening when taken together with alcohol.
During the crimes, three to four accomplices joined each game and divided roles. Some distracted the victims by drawing their attention elsewhere, while others secretly added drugs to the drinks or swapped them with cups already containing the drugs. Another accomplice installed a USB receiver on the screen golf computer and, at the moment the victim turned their head to swing, used the remote control to change the screen direction. This caused the ball to fly in an unintended direction and altered the game results.
Police launched an investigation after a victim reported suspected match-fixing when they repeatedly felt unusually lethargic during betting games and their performance was consistently worse than usual.
The investigation found that over about three months from December last year, the group committed a total of 10 offenses and swindled approximately 74 million won.
Police detained the two main offenders, who led the scheme and had prior records for similar crimes, and referred the other seven accomplices without detention. They are continuing to investigate for additional victims and further offenses.
A police official stated, "This is a very serious crime in that psychotropic drugs were used as a tool, posing a direct threat to the victims’ health and lives," adding, "We plan to continue gathering intelligence on similar offenses and crack down on them strictly."
425_sama@fnnews.com Choi Seung-han Reporter