Police investigate alleged owner of mysterious cash boxes

Police said Monday they were investigating a man suspected of concealing cash boxes worth 1 billion won ($899,000) in a Seoul warehouse, which is suspected of having links to illicit activities.

Earlier this month, police discovered two boxes -- one stuffed with 200 million won in 10,000-won bills and the other with 800 million won in 50,000-won bills -- in a department store's storage facility following a report by an employee who suspected that the boxes contained bombs.

The boxes have been kept in the warehouse since last August and about 2 million won in yearly storage fees were paid by a 31-year-old man, surnamed Im, who police identified as an online gambling site operator.

On Monday morning, police nabbed Im as soon as he arrived in the country from his trip to Indonesia, which he had visited two days prior to the discovery of the money.

Im is accused of entrusting the money made through an illegal gambling site from October 2008 to April last year and used a false name and a cell phone under another person's name when entrusting the money, Seoul's Yeondeungpo Police Station said, noting that he also kept another box of 100 million won in storage.

Investigators said they were questioning the suspect about how the money was obtained and whether he had accomplices. (Yonhap)