Ten Vietnamese nationals escape from police station in Gwangju

Social Affairs

Published: 11 Jun. 2023, 15:31 Updated: 11 Jun. 2023, 16:27

Ten Vietnamese nationals escape from police station in Gwangju

[NEWS1]

Ten Vietnamese nationals escaped through a window at a police station in Gwangju on Sunday after they were apprehended for gambling earlier in the day.

A total of 23 Vietnamese nationals were caught gambling at a house in Gwangsan District, Gwangju at around 3 a.m. on Sunday.

After they were apprehended, they were told to wait in a conference room at a police patrol unit under Gwangsan Police Station. The conference room had no security cameras.

The suspects were not handcuffed as they were cooperative with the investigation, according to police.

A total of 10 police officers were investigating the suspects, calling them one by one from the conference room. There was no police officer supervising them in the conference room.

Some 10 Vietnamese nationals apprehended for gambling escaped through a window in a conference room at a police station in Gwangju on Sunday. [YONHAP]

Police said they had no idea the suspects would be able to escape through the window as it only opened about 15 degrees, creating a gap of about 20 centimeters (8 inches) at the widest.

The police realized the suspects had escaped at around 6:40 a.m.

Of the 10 suspects that escaped Sunday morning, six were illegal immigrants.

Police suspect they fled over concerns about being deported.

Some 90 police officers are working to track the suspects down.

Police officers at the site are also being investigated.

Last July, another suspect escaped from a police patrol unit under Gwangsan Police Precinct.

A 30-something-year-old man on the wanted list for fraud charges ran away after he was allowed to smoke outside. He was also not handcuffed.

The man was caught about seven hours later. Two police officers responsible for the escape were penalized.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO, LEE JI-YOUNG [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]