"Wallet Returned, but Cash Missing"... 420,000 Won Disappears from Police-Lost Property Storage

Cash and Gift Certificates Confirmed at Time of Lost-and-Found Report
Police: "All Parties Involved Are Being Questioned... Suspect Not Yet Identified"

A complaint has been filed with the police alleging that cash and gift certificates disappeared from a lost wallet that had been entrusted to police custody. The police are now investigating the entire internal storage process. Authorities believe that the valuables went missing during the lost-and-found storage phase and are verifying the facts with those involved.

Daejeon Police Agency Image

According to Yonhap News on June 18, a citizen reported finding a wallet to the Eoeun Security Center at Yuseong Police Station in Daejeon on March 27.

At the time, the wallet was found to contain valuables worth approximately 420,000 won, including cash and department store gift certificates. The security center officer confirmed the contents and accepted the wallet as a lost item, notifying the owner, a person in their 30s identified as A, of the situation.

However, when A later visited the police station to retrieve the wallet, the cash and gift certificates were reportedly missing. When A did not receive an explanation regarding the whereabouts of the valuables, it is understood that a formal complaint for theft was filed against the staff in charge.

Typically, lost items submitted to district units, police substations, or security centers are transferred by the responsible staff to the lost property department of the relevant police station. The officer in charge at the police station is then required to store the lost property until it is claimed by the owner.

The Daejeon Jungbu Police Station, which has taken over the case, is currently investigating the Crime Prevention and Order Division at Daejeon Yuseong Police Station and related personnel. The police suspect that the valuables may have disappeared during police custody and have changed the charge to embezzlement as part of their ongoing investigation.

A police official stated, "We are questioning all parties involved, from the initial lost-and-found report to those responsible for storage," adding, "As the suspect has not yet been identified, it is difficult to disclose further details." The official also said, "If the investigation confirms any wrongdoing, separate disciplinary and internal audit procedures will be conducted."

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