Two South Korean women were released after being detained by Turkish authorities for allegedly stealing a bag containing around $17,000 in cash from another tourist, according to news reports on Thursday.
Turkey’s Demiroren News Agency and other media outlets reported that the two women were arrested by police on suspicion of theft and released after questioning on Aug. 28.
The two women, who were traveling in the country, were accused of stealing a bag belonging to an Albanian tourist on Aug. 27 at a cafe in the town of Goreme in Cappadocia, a popular tourist destination known for its hot air balloons and the Derinkuyu underground city.
The victim came to the cafe with her relatives and accidentally left her bag on a chair. She left the cafe and later realized her bag was missing. When she returned to the cafe, the bag, which reportedly contained her ID, bank card, 1,500 Australian dollars ($1,345) and 12,100 British pounds ($15,945), was gone. She then reported the incident to the police.
Police reviewed surveillance footage from the cafe, which showed the two South Korean women sitting at the table where the victim had been seated and later leaving with the bag. Turkish authorities were able to identify their faces and tracked them down near where they were staying.
The suspects reportedly claimed they had been “drunk” and took the bag by mistake.
After the investigation, the police released the two women, considering that the money in the bag remained intact and the victim did not wish to press charges. The decision on whether to prosecute the women is still undecided, but the case is expected to be closed.
