Locked in Sauna Until Unconscious... Busan Nightlife Shaken by Brutal Scam Ring

[Anchor]

A large criminal ring has been rounded up for serving counterfeit liquor to heavily intoxicated customers and inflating their bar tabs. They amassed 3.5 billion won through these scams, but their operations were finally exposed after a disgruntled gang member reported them to the authorities.

KNN reporter Ok Min-ji reports.

[Reporter]

Black tea is poured into a whiskey bottle with a small amount of alcohol left inside.

After topping it off with other unidentified liquids presumably gathered from leftover bottles, the bottle is wiped clean once it is full.

Then, the cap is sealed to make it look brand new.

This footage shows the creation of fake liquor sold by a gang led by a ringleader in his 30s, identified as A.


Operating five entertainment bars around the Seomyeon area in Busan, the group lured intoxicated customers and sold them counterfeit alcohol.

When customers passed out from heavy drinking, the suspects secretly withdrew massively inflated bar tabs using credit card PINs they had acquired in advance.

The total amount embezzled this way is estimated at around 3.5 billion won, with victims numbering over 1,000.

Their crimes, which continued for about two years, came to light after a gang member, unable to endure the brutal abuse any longer, reported them.

Three managers, including one with a background in organized crime, controlled lower-level members according to a strict set of internal rules.

If members failed to meet their daily quotas or attempted to flee, they were locked in a high-temperature sauna until they passed out,

[Voice]
"Just endure it."

or forced to run continuously on a treadmill.

[Voice]
"Run faster. More, more!"

They were even coerced into self-harm, such as striking their own fingers with a hammer.

[Interview: SEUNGJOO / Busan Metropolitan Police Agency Metropolitan Investigation Unit]
"Entertainment establishments operate until early in the morning, and if daily quotas are not met by morning, they would immediately drag members away and force them to exercise at the gym like that."

Police have apprehended 61 members of the ring and formally arrested ringleader A, while placing two others who fled overseas—including a co-ringleader and a manager with organized crime ties—on Interpol red notices.

(Video Reported by Jeon Jae-hyun / KNN, Video Provided by Busan Metropolitan Police Agency)

KNN Ok Min-ji
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.