`Smell unique to foreigners` lured laptop burglar

외국인 집만 골라 노트북 훔친 20대 구속







서울 용산경찰서는 외국인이 사는 집만 골라 노트북 등을 훔친 혐의로 25살 백 모 씨를 구속했다. 백 씨는 지난달 23일 서울 용산동에 있는 외국인의 집에 몰래 들어가 노트북을 훔쳐 달아나는 등 모두 10차례에 걸쳐 1,500여 만 원어치의 금품을 훔친 혐의를 받고 있다.

경찰은 또한 백씨가 훔친 물건을 사들인 혐의로 노트북 판매수리업자 문모(31)씨 등 2명을 불구속 입건했다









Police in Seoul have arrested a 25-year-old man who allegedly stole laptop computers and other valuables mostly from the houses of foreign residents.

The man, identified only by his surname Baek, is alleged to have stolen valuables and money -- worth about 15 million won ($13,000) -- since November last year, officials at Yongsan Police Station said.

On Feb. 23, Baek entered a house of a 20-year-old student from the United Sates and stole a laptop computer worth 2 million won and 100,000 won in cash, according to the police.



Noting that laptop computers foreigners brought into Korea are more difficult to trace, as organizations do not have records of their product identification numbers, Baek has stolen a total of 10 laptops.

Of the total 10 victims, eight were foreigners, including an elementary school English teacher and a student studying Korean at a local university. No embassy employees or foreign diplomats were among the victims, police said.

"When walking past a foreigner`s house, there was a unique odor foreigners carry. That is how I fathomed out whether a foreigner lived in the house," Baek was quoted as saying by police.

Police have also booked two people on charges of purchasing the items Baek stole. They were not detained.





By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldm.com)