Kidnapped and Assaulted for 46 Hours to Prevent Voice Phishing Report... Court Sentences to 7 Years in Prison

Man in His 30s Charged with Retaliatory Injury and Retaliatory Confinement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes

A man in his 30s has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term after abducting, detaining, and assaulting a member of a Cambodian voice phishing organization for 46 hours when the victim tried to report the group to law enforcement.

According to a report by Yonhap News on June 15, the 7th Criminal Division of the Busan District Court, presided over by Judge Lim Juhyuk, sentenced the man in his 30s to seven years in prison on charges of retaliatory injury and retaliatory confinement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

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According to the court ruling, Mr. A, in collusion with Mr. B, the manager of the voice phishing organization, threatened Mr. C, a group member who said he would report the organization, and confiscated two mobile phones from him at a jjimjilbang in Incheon on December 7 last year. He was charged with detaining Mr. C for about 46 hours by moving him between motels in Incheon and Busan.

The victim, Mr. C, worked as a call center employee luring victims in a Cambodia-based voice phishing organization from May to November last year. After a dispute with Mr. B, the group’s manager, he returned to Korea and sent a message to the manager indicating his intention to turn himself in to the police.

After capturing Mr. C, Mr. A threatened him by saying, "The Chinese boss told the Joseonjok (ethnic Korean Chinese) to harvest your organs, and people will be coming here soon," and, "If you do not come with me, your organs will be removed and you will be killed," before forcing him into a car.

Mr. A subsequently took Mr. C to a motel, assaulted him several times, and twice poured boiling water on specific parts of his body, causing burns.

He also drove Mr. C around in a vehicle, telling him, "Stab your own thigh with a knife and throw yourself down the mountain," and searched for a mountain with him, moving locations during this time.

It was revealed that at around 12:36 a.m. on December 8 last year, Mr. C escaped through a window while Mr. A was temporarily absent, sought help from a passerby, and reported the incident to the police.

The court recognized all the charges as proven, citing Mr. C’s consistent testimony, CCTV footage, photographs of the injuries, and messages Mr. A sent to acquaintances as evidence.

The court stated, "The defendant injured and detained the victim in order to prevent the voice phishing crime from being reported. It appears the victim suffered severe psychological trauma, yet the defendant shows no remorse and instead blames the victim."

The court added, "The defendant has multiple prior convictions, committed the offense during a repeat offense period, and has not received forgiveness from the victim," explaining the reasons for the sentencing.

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