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The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Financial Crimes Investigation Unit has reportedly apprehended 14 individuals involved in a $12.8 million (16 billion won) crypto mining scam.
The operation’s ringleader, a man in his 40s identified only by his surname Lee, went to extraordinary lengths, including undergoing plastic surgery, to avoid detection by law enforcement.
Mastermind Had Plastic Surgery to Evade Capture
Authorities in the South Korean capital announced on August 30 that Lee had been taken into custody after a 10-month manhunt.
He is accused of organizing a fraudulent virtual asset mining business that swindled 158 victims out of their investments between November 2021 and June 2022.
According to the police, the suspect embezzled 4.5 billion won ($3.6 million) of the total 16 billion won collected from the victims. To maintain the illusion of a legitimate operation, he employed a network of recruiters, including four top headhunters and four middle-level agents, who were instrumental in convincing people of the business’s supposed profitability.
The scheme began to unravel in July 2022, when the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency initiated an investigation after compiling 21 lawsuits and accusations filed against the perpetrator across various police stations nationwide.
The probe revealed the elaborate lengths to which Lee went to avoid capture, including spending 20 million won on plastic surgery to alter his appearance and evade authorities.
Suspect Apprehended After 10-Month Manhunt
Despite his efforts, the alleged criminal’s luck ran out when police arrested him earlier this month. He had been on the run since September of last year after failing to appear for a substantive examination of his arrest warrant.
During his time in hiding, Lee was reportedly assisted by the office manager of the law firm he had hired. The office manager allegedly helped him escape by finding a plastic surgery clinic willing to perform the procedures and providing him with a fake phone to throw off investigators further.
In addition to his arrest, authorities also apprehended the eight recruiters who played key roles in the fraudulent operation. These individuals were handed over to the prosecution in September of last year and earlier this month, respectively.