Logistics Center Worker Gets Prison Term for Stealing KRW 900 Million Worth of Goods Over Two Years

A logistics center employee in their 40s who stole over 900 million won worth of high-end electronics from an online shopping mall's distribution hub over a two-year period has been sentenced to prison in an appellate trial.

Chuncheon District Court announced today (September 12) that it has dismissed the appeal filed by a defendant in their 40s, identified as A, who was indicted on theft charges, upholding the lower court's sentence of three years and six months in prison.

A is accused of stealing 971 electronic devices, including smartphones and laptops, worth approximately 920 million won over a period of about two years starting in October 2022.

It was revealed that A exploited their role of transferring resalable returned items to the inspection team. Taking advantage of the job's nature, which allowed free movement around the logistics center and unhindered access to open return boxes, A carried out the crimes.

Investigators found that A used meticulous methods, such as hiding expensive electronics beneath safety shoe insoles or tossing them out of windows located in CCTV blind spots.

The stolen goods were sold through second-hand online trading platforms, and a significant portion of the profits was reportedly spent on gambling funds.

The first instance court stated, "The damage amount is massive, the crimes were committed over a long period, and the methods used were quite bad," sentencing A to three years and six months in prison.

The appellate court also ruled that "the lower court's sentencing was made within a reasonable scope of discretion," rejecting the defendant's argument that the original sentence was too harsh.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.