Accomplices ‘Converted Crypto to Cash to Help Fraudster Escape’
A spokesperson said undercover detectives eventually managed to locate his “hideout” – an apartment in Guri, Gyeonggi Province – on August 25.
Officers explained that Kim had “evaded investigators” by “frequently moving house” and “using a fake phone and fake bank account while on the run.”
They said that Kim also spent about $15,700 on “four surgeries at a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam District, Seoul.”
Gangnam is home not only to most of South Korea’s biggest tech and crypto exchanges, but also to many of the nation’s most famous cosmetic surgery clinics.
Man ‘Had Nose Reconstruction and Lipo’ to Evade Police
Officers explained that Kim underwent “double eyelid surgery, nose surgery, liposuction, and facial contouring surgery,” to “prevent the investigators from recognizing his appearance.”
Investigators explained that they also discovered Kim had paid for a custom-fit wig to wear in public to further disguise his appearance.
South Korean prosecutors said the law firm manager and Kim’s girlfriend “converted virtual assets obtained from criminal proceeds into cash” on Kim’s behalf.
Korea sees record high in inbound medical touristshttps://t.co/jxYROeFvKc
— The Korea Times (@koreatimescokr) April 29, 2024
They said the duo and others provided the cash raised from these crypto sales to Kim “as escape funds.”
They also alleged that the pair had helped Kim find appropriate plastic surgery clinics and “a wig-making company.”
Suspected Accomplice Poses No Flight Risk, Judge Rules
Investigators said the legal firm manager helped Kim escape “in exchange for money” and “concealed important information during the police probe.”
However, a court rejected a police arrest warrant for the manager. The presiding judge said that it had made its decision “after considering that the manager posed no escape risk.”
The judge added that the manager had also “faithfully cooperated with the police investigation” into Kim.
Lee Sang-cheul, a South Korean crypto trader and IT professional, told Cryptonews.com:
“It’s amazing how many people fall for crypto scams in South Korea nowadays – particularly mining-themed fraud.”