Police arrest gang in screen golf rigging scam

Police have arrested a group accused of secretly slipping sleeping pills into opponents’ drinks during wagered screen golf games to manipulate the results.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Mobile Investigation Unit said Thursday it arrested two men in their 50s and sent them to prosecutors on charges of fraud and violating the Narcotics Control Act. Investigators say the pair swindled about 74 million won from a victim through manipulated gambling matches. Seven accomplices, who belonged to the same golf club or were regulars at the same golf course, were also referred to prosecutors without detention.

From December 2024 through about three months, the group repeatedly played wagered screen golf with a businessman in his 60s at indoor golf venues across the Seoul metropolitan area. During the games, they secretly gave him drinks laced with sleeping pills and collected the stakes in 10 rounds, police said. Investigators said the group first looked for targets at golf clubs and frequently visited courses, searching for players who appeared financially well off. After identifying the businessman, they approached him casually and suggested wagered screen golf matches several times.

The scheme was carried out in a coordinated manner. Some members obtained prescriptions for lorazepam, a psychotropic medication, claiming ailments such as insomnia. During the games, three or four accomplices created an opportunity by drawing the victim away from his seat. They then mixed the drug into his drink or swapped it with a cup that had already been prepared with the medication.

The group also tampered with the game system. They connected a USB-type receiver to the screen golf computer in advance. When the victim turned his head to swing, they used a remote control to shift the aiming point on the screen, causing subtle movements that led him to lose the wagered rounds.

The scheme unraveled after the victim began feeling unusually lethargic during games and grew suspicious of his repeated poor results. Police launched an investigation in May last year after receiving his report.

Investigators later discovered that the two main suspects had previously been punished for using similar tactics. A police official said authorities obtained partial confessions supported by video footage secretly recorded by the victim during the games, along with other evidence collected in the investigation. Police continue to examine whether there are additional victims or related offenses.


정서영 cero@donga.com