Including 17 Public Officials in Metropolitan Police Operation

A group involved in arranging prostitution at officetels in the metropolitan area and clients have been caught in a large-scale police operation.

The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency's Crime Prevention and Order Division announced on the 24th that it had arrested and referred to prosecutors a 30s male officetel operator, Mr. A, on charges of violating the Act on the Punishment of Arrangement of Prostitution, etc.

Police also non-custodially booked and referred the officetel's 30s male manager, Mr. B, and three others for the same charges, along with 67 women in their 20s and 30s engaged in prostitution.

Additionally, 590 male clients in their 20s to 60s were non-custodially booked and handed over to prosecutors.

Mr. A and others are suspected of renting over 20 officetels in the metropolitan area from October of last year to February of this year and arranging prostitution.

Investigations revealed that they contacted clients who responded to advertisements posted on prostitution arrangement sites and guided them via text messages or social media platforms like Telegram regarding the time and location of the acts.

To evade law enforcement crackdowns, they frequently moved offices and used burner phones and surveillance cameras (CCTV), according to police.

They also systematically managed clients' information, including age, occupation, appearance, physical characteristics, and personality, and received prostitution fees in cash.

Police identified that Mr. A's group had secured 4 billion Korean won in criminal proceeds, freezing 1.2 billion Korean won as pre-indictment restitution.

Among the 590 clients caught, 17 were confirmed to be public officials, including government employees and public institution staff. The police notified the relevant institutions of the misconduct. No law enforcement officers, such as police or prosecutors, were found among the identified public officials.

A police official stated, "We plan to continue crackdowns until we eradicate officetel-based prostitution, which is rampant nationwide."

Prostitution Group Caught, 590 Clients Arrested