Teenager Arrested for String of Unmanned Store Burglaries to Pay Off Cyber Gambling Debts

A teenager has been caught by police for going on a stealing spree at multiple unmanned stores to pay off debts incurred from cyber gambling.

The Ilsan Seobu Police Station announced on August 17 that they are investigating 16-year-old Teenager A on charges including special larceny, attempted special larceny, and unlicensed driving under the Road Traffic Act.

Teenager A is accused of stealing approximately 870,000 won in cash across 10 instances by breaking into kiosks with tools at seven unmanned stores in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, over a three-day period early last month.

Investigations revealed that the repair costs for the damaged kiosks amount to approximately 3.8 million won.

While police were searching the surrounding area after receiving the initial report, additional reports of theft at other unmanned stores were filed.

Riding a stolen motorcycle without a license, Teenager A attempted to flee but was apprehended by police officers who tracked him down after identifying his appearance.

Teenager A reportedly stated during police questioning that he committed the crimes to pay off debts accumulated from cyber gambling.

Police plan to forward Teenager A to prosecutors without detention after investigating the specific circumstances of the crimes.

(Photo provided by Ilsan Seobu Police Station, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.