Tried to Sell 'Stolen Laptop' on Secondhand Site... Caught by Police Disguised as Buyer

Undercover Operation in Plain Clothes at Direct Transaction Site
Suspect Referred to Prosecution for Alleged Theft of Items Worth 8 Million Won

A woman in her 30s who posted a stolen laptop on a secondhand trading website after stealing it from an electronics store was apprehended by police officers disguised as buyers. The officers changed into plain clothes after work and waited undercover at the transaction site to arrest the suspect.

A police officer disguised as a buyer in a secondhand transaction apprehending a suspect attempting to sell a stolen laptop. Daejeon Police Agency YouTube.

According to the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency on June 11, police received a report from an electronics store on May 26 stating that "someone took a laptop that was on display."

The police analyzed the store's closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to identify the suspect, Ms. A. While searching secondhand trading sites, they discovered a listing for a laptop similar to the one stolen, estimated to be worth about 1.7 million won, which appeared to have been posted by Ms. A.

Believing that it could be the stolen item, the police immediately approached Ms. A, posing as a prospective buyer. Around 9 p.m. that same day, they arranged to meet Ms. A for a direct transaction near a department store in Dunsan-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon. Members of Galma Police Box Team 1 changed into plain clothes after work and went undercover at the scene.

Two officers, including Officer Ye Han-gu, met Ms. A while pretending to be buyers, while the other officers disguised themselves as citizens and monitored the situation nearby.

Ms. A appeared at the transaction site wearing the same clothes she was seen wearing in the CCTV footage at the time of the theft. Police confirmed that the serial number of the laptop she brought matched that of the stolen item. Ms. A was then immediately arrested on suspicion of theft and the laptop was confiscated.

According to the investigation, Ms. A had stolen items worth approximately 8 million won, including three laptops and ten pieces of clothing, from electronics and clothing stores in the Daejeon area between May 24 and May 26. The police referred Ms. A to the prosecution on theft charges on June 1.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.