South Korea's ongoing organized crime crackdown, which is conducted by the National Police Agency, is now targeting Gen Z and Millenial criminals.
This was confirmed by NPA officials and other law enforcement authorities, saying that the majority of the criminals they have been arresting are younger people.
On Wednesday, Dec. 20, NPA leaders announced that thousands of organized crime group members were arrested across South Korea. They said that these arrests happened between Aug. 7 and Dec. 16. The majority of these organized crime ring members are mostly zoomers (Gen Z) and Millenials.
South Korea's Organized Crime Crackdown Targets Gen Z, Millennial Criminals
Police officers stand guard in front of a building housing the Japanese embassy in Seoul on August 24, 2023, as South Korean protesters gather to demonstrate against Japan's discharge of treated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.
According to Business Insider's latest report, South Korea NPA said that they arrested 1,183 members of organized crime rings from August until December.
Officials added that 888 of these criminals were MZ gangsters; criminals younger than 30 years old. The Korea Herald reported that NPA officials saw a drastic rise in the number of younger South Korean criminals.
During the mentioned period, they saw a 57.8% increase in MZ gangsters being arrested compared to when the crackdown was conducted in the first half of 2023. The National Police Agency said that MZ gangsters are joining crime groups because of profit.
This is quite different from their recent goal, which is to join organized crime rings because of their factions.
"There is a need for authorities to re-establish the meaning of organized crime rings, and find ways to respond to such crimes," said NPA in its workshop, which is designed to help prosecutors handle younger South Korean criminals.
What Crimes MZ Gangsters Do
South Korean policemen wearing mask during a polluted day on March 06, 2019 in Seoul, South Korea. Most of South Korea was blanketed by extraordinarily heavy levels of choking fine dust air pollution for the sixth consecutive day and forecasters say the condition is unlikely to improve for the time being.
The National Police Agency explained that MZ gangsters do numerous crimes that are quite different from older South Korean criminals.
Based on the charges faced by those arrested by NPA, MZ gangsters' crimes include running gambling websites, voice phishing, and other business-type illegal activities.
These intricate crimes are done by over 38% of MZ gangsters. Meanwhile, more than 21% of them are conducting crimes against citizens via extortion and violence.
Around 27.7% of Gen Z and Millenial criminals were arrested because of joining or participating in an organized crime ring. As of writing, South Korea's law enforcement leaders are urging citizens to be cautious against these next-gen gang members.
They warned that these MZ gangsters are shifting their focus to extortion, violence, online gambling, scans, financial crimes, fake deposits, etc.
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