South Korea seeks Interpol’s help to arrest 2 Chinese men over ashes theft in Jeju
The duo broke into a columbarium in Jeju to steal six urns and demanded a US$2 million ransom for the return of the ashes
The duo, who were suspected to have fled the country, had allegedly broken into a columbarium earlier this week to steal six urns, local media reported on Thursday.
Police have requested an Interpol red notice to capture the suspects, both in their 40s.
A red notice indicates a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest the wanted individuals, but discretion lies with Interpol member states on whether to follow through.
According to South Korean public broadcaster KBS, the case was discovered and reported to police by families visiting the columbarium.
“It felt like the sky was falling, and I was so shocked that I could only think about finding them. My siblings, who live far away, all came down as soon as they heard the news,” a member of one of the affected families told KBS.
In security footage aired by KBS, the two men are seen removing the glass doors of an urn shelf with a suction tool, and placing their loot into a bag.