Police arrest kidnapper with bogus cash

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info at bottom)
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- Police said Saturday they arrested a 32-year-old man
who allegedly kidnapped a female bakery owner and has been using a counterfeit
ransom provided by police for her release.
Jeong Seung-hee and an accomplice broke into a bakery in western Seoul earlier
this month and abducted the female owner. The suspects released her the next day
after police gave them a bag of fake bills worth 70 million won (US$45,622) that
allowed authorities to track the criminals more easily.
"Police arrested Jeong, who had been hiding out in a house outside Seoul. We are
looking into the identity of the home owner and whether there is any connection
to the suspect," an official said. Jeong's accomplice, identified only by his
surname Shim, was arrested on Feb. 14.
Concerns have mounted that the forged bills may begin to circulate throughout the
country as a portion of the money was used by the kidnappers with police failing
to recall the notes for more than two weeks. According to police, the suspects
used 7.04 million won out of the total on four separate occasions.
Police said the counterfeit money was not found at the hideout where Jeong was
arrested, adding the suspect claimed to have burned the remaining bills. They
said traces of burned notes were found in the front yard of the house and that an
investigation is under way.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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