A group involved in stealing natural stones from Hallasan National Park has been arrested.
The Jeju Autonomous Police announced that they apprehended two suspects for stealing natural stones in Hallasan National Park and arrested them on charges of violating the “Act on the Creation and Management of Forest Resources.”
Among the group, Mr. A (male, in his 70s) was arrested and charged, while Mr. B (male, in his 50s) was sent to the prosecution with a recommendation for non-detention indictment.
On July 22, Mr. A cut surrounding native trees with an electric saw to secure a vehicle entrance, intending to steal natural stones from a valley in Hallasan National Park.
He then called Mr. B to the crime scene, conspired to steal the stones, divided roles, and used equipment such as a hoist, pulleys, and ropes to extract a stone weighing about 4 tons by the next dawn.
While suspects were transporting the stolen stone by vehicle, they accidentally dropped it on the transportation route. As dawn approached, they feared getting caught and left the stone at the site.
The Autonomous Police began investigating immediately upon recognizing the case on July 24 and apprehended the suspects within 20 days, proving their involvement in the crime.
Mr. A, who was arrested, committed the crime intending to resell the natural stone. To avoid detection, he meticulously planned to use forest paths without CCTV and carried out the crime at night.
The police analyzed over 5,200 vehicles passing through major roads leading to the crime scene using CCTV and Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI) systems. They also used scientific investigation methods, including reviewing over 1,600 communication records, base station comparisons, and tire mark analysis, to quickly apprehend the suspects.
Sunho Lee, the Chief of the Seogwipo District Police, stated, “Privatizing Jeju’s natural environmental resources for personal gain is a serious crime. We will continue to firmly respond to acts of stealing environmental resources with a zero-tolerance policy.”
According to Article 73 of the current “Act on the Creation and Management of Forest Resources,” theft of forest products at night or using vehicles is punishable by imprisonment for at least one year and up to ten years.