The shocking news of the kidnapping and murder of a woman in her 40s in the middle of Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea has left the country in a state of shock, according to local newspaper Tokenpost. It has now been revealed that the heinous crime was a pre-planned and well-orchestrated operation that was carefully prepared over several months to target the victim’s cryptocurrency.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Suseo Police Station have reported that three suspects, including Mr. Lee (35), an employee at a law office, Mr. Hwang (36), an employee at a liquor company, and Mr. Yeon (30), an unemployed individual, had been following the victim for three months. The circumstances surrounding the planned crime were identified in advance, and the suspects are believed to have meticulously planned the kidnapping and murder of the victim to steal her crypto assets.
The victim, who was murdered, was in possession of more than ₩5.00 billion KRW (equivalent to about $3.83 million USD) worth of cryptocurrency, which is believed to be the main reason for her targeting.
On the night of the 29th of last month, the suspects kidnapped and murdered the woman as she was returning home in front of her apartment in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, at 11:46 pm. The police investigation has revealed that Mr. Hwang and Mr. Yeon had no face-to-face contact with the victim, and the police are expanding their investigation as they believe there are additional accomplices involved in the crime.
Mr. Lee has refused to answer questions about his relationship with the victim. It is believed that Lee pointed out Mr. A as the target of the crime to Mr. Hwang and Mr. Yeon and provided them with the tools they needed to commit the crime.
According to Mr. Yeon’s statement, the crime was committed with the intention of stealing the victim’s virtual currency. As such, the police are investigating the possibility of a contract killing.
After kidnapping and murdering the victim, the suspects secretly buried her body in a hill near Daecheong Dam in Daejeon around 6:00 am on the 30th of last month, seven hours after the kidnapping. Two days after the crime occurred, the police arrested Yeon and Hwang in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and Lee was arrested in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
The police later conducted a search near Daecheong Dam and discovered the victim’s body at 5:35 pm on the 31st, 41 hours after the incident.
The suspects are due to undergo interrogation before the arrest of the gang suspected of kidnapping and killing the victim. The interrogation will be held on the 3rd and will involve a warrant review for three people, including the 35-year-old aunt suspected of robbery and murder, conducted by Seoul Central District Court Chief Judge Yoo Chang-hoon, who is in charge of warrants.
The police have also announced that they are considering disclosing the identities of the gang members involved in the heinous crime. Baek Nam-ik, head of the Suseo Police Station in Seoul, stated, “After comprehensively investigating the specific motive and background of the crime, and the relationship with the accomplice, we will review whether to disclose it through the Personal Disclosure Committee.”
The incident has sent shockwaves across the country and has once again highlighted the dangers of cryptocurrency, which is often targeted by criminals due to its anonymous and untraceable nature. It is essential to take precautions and ensure the safety of virtual assets to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.
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This article was republished from azcoinnews.com
