Police have sought arrest warrants for 73 suspected scam operators who were repatriated from Cambodia, authorities said Saturday.
The move came a day after the suspects were forcibly returned to South Korea through Incheon Airport.
A police task force investigating the case said it has completed requests for arrest warrants for all 73 suspects on charges related to large-scale fraud committed overseas.
The suspects were taken into custody immediately after arriving aboard a chartered flight from Phnom Penh and were transferred to police stations for questioning, authorities said.
They were dispersed to various units, including anti-corruption and economic crimes investigation units, criminal investigation task forces and cybercrime investigation units.
Police said the suspects are accused of defrauding 869 South Korean victims of about 48.6 billion won ($33 million).
According to investigators, 70 suspects are charged with operating romance scams or fraudulent investment group chats, while three face charges related to robbery and illegal gambling.
Among the suspects is a married couple accused of stealing about 12 billion won from 104 victims by using deepfake technology to impersonate virtual human characters, police said.
shinjh@heraldcorp.com
