284 foreign criminals caught in 100-day crackdown

By Park Si-soo

Police caught nearly 300 foreign criminals in their 100-day intensive crackdown in the southern part of Gyeonggi Province.

About 40 police officers took part in the campaign that continued from June 19 to Sept. 26 in the region’s major expat districts.

The region is home to many factories that hire tens of thousands of foreign workers. As the foreign population increases, so does the number of crimes involving foreigners, according to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency.

A total of 202 were caught for violence, the No.1 crime, followed by 38 for drug use, 24 for illegal gambling, 11 for illegal possession of an unregistered weapon and nine for dating violence. Thirty-nine were arrested.

“Many foreign crimes have gone unnoticed because victims, mainly foreigners, feared that the police’s involvement could bring a negative impact on their status,” a police officer involved in the campaign said. “This has made their situation worse. We will pay greater attention to expat communities to enhance their security.”