Police investigating the murder case involving a freezer at a cafe in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, are expanding their probe, considering the possibility that the victim may have been murdered after getting entangled in a tens of billions of won counterfeit gift certificate fraud scheme.

According to police and other sources on the 8th, the victim, a woman in her 60s identified as A, visited the cafe on the day of the crime after being asked to act as a middleman—such as appraising the authenticity of gift certificates—for a transaction where a third party was to purchase gift certificates held by the suspect, a cafe owner in his 30s.

Prior to this, victim A had never met B, nor had she ever visited the cafe.

Lured by B's statement that "the gift certificates are in the storage," A entered the cafe's freezer together with him, but she was unable to escape and ultimately died.

Police suspect that B may have locked A inside the freezer and killed her after she noticed that the gift certificates were forged.

Police are also investigating whether other individuals were involved in the transaction, including a man who drove A from Seoul to Paju on the day of the incident, to determine if there were any accomplices.

The suspected counterfeit gift certificates found in B's freezer amount to an estimated 50 billion won in face value.

While verifying the authenticity and distribution channels of the gift certificates, police are investigating whether there are additional accomplices or masterminds.

However, police explained, "Whether the gift certificates are actually forged is a matter that requires legal review."

In addition, based on statements that the freezer did not even exist at the cafe just weeks prior to the crime, police are investigating whether B intentionally brought in the freezer for this crime.

The freezer is a container-type structure measuring roughly 30 square meters in length, located right next to the cafe building operated by B.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed that B went back and forth to the cafe multiple times after locking A in the freezer.

Police are examining whether B attempted to erase traces of the crime or destroy evidence during this process.

Previously, police discovered the body of the missing woman A inside a freezer at a cafe in Munsan-eup, Paju, on the 4th, and suspect B has been arrested on charges of murder by abduction.

Police have formed a 17-member investigation team consisting of three violent crime teams from the Paju Police Station's detective division to investigate the motive for the crime and the gift certificate-related fraud allegations.

A police official stated, "It is true that an investigation into accomplices is underway, but if related details become known to the outside, it could disrupt the investigation," adding, "Please refrain from speculating on unconfirmed accomplice relations."