The Jongno police arrested 23 teenagers Wednesday for collecting settlement fees and insurance money after a number of collaborated accidents.
They are charged with fraud. One of them, a Park, and his friends, deliberately bumped into taxis which crossed the median, making it look like accidents.
They did this 44 times and took some 110 million won ($100,000) using this scheme.
They planned this because they knew that taxis around Jongno-3-ga and the Hongdae area in western Seoul frequently cross the median to avoid the crowd.
The police recognized the similarities in the repeated crime around that region,and went on with the investigation. They went through the financial record of the suspects.
“Taxi drivers are reluctant to report the bump because they know they violated the law.
In fear of the charges and punishment they might face, they rather stay quiet,” said one police officer. “If you are suspicious of something, report,” he added.