Russian man arrested in South Korea for assault in fake crypto deal

A Russian national has been taken into custody in South Korea for an alleged assault and attempted robbery during a fake crypto deal. Two men fell victim to the P2P crypto scam involving three Russian nationals.

South Korean police have arrested a Russian national linked to a violent robbery attempt in a staged cryptocurrency transaction involving 1 billion won, approximately $728K. The Russian man in custody in Busan is in his 20s.

His two accomplices, who are also Russian nationals, fled the country shortly after the incident, and an international manhunt is now on.

The Gangseo Police Precinct in Seoul confirmed on Tuesday that the arrest took place at approximately 3:40 p.m. The suspect is part of a group that allegedly staged a brutal ambush targeting Korean nationals involved in a peer-to-peer (P2P) cryptocurrency trade.

One Russian suspect was arrested in South Korea

The incident occurred on May 21, 2025, in a hotel in Gangseo District, western Seoul. According to police reports, the three Russian suspects lured 10 Korean men to a hotel under the pretense of conducting a P2P crypto trade involving a large sum of cash.

The group told eight of the victims to wait in the hotel lobby and instructed the last two to come up to the designated room, where they would later be ambushed.

As soon as they entered the room, the suspects, who were wearing protective vests and hiding in the bathroom, launched a sudden attack on the two unsuspecting men. They threatened the victims with a replica handgun and beat them with both a telescopic baton and their fists. The victims were bound with cable ties, and one suffered injuries before managing to escape.

That victim fled to the hotel lobby and alerted the others waiting downstairs. The attackers attempted to steal a bag containing the 1 billion won prepared for the trade, but they were forced to flee the scene without the money once the rest of the group intervened.

The police received an emergency report at approximately 8:30 p.m. regarding a bleeding man in the hotel lobby. Officers arriving at the scene found a cash counter, bulletproof vests, the replica firearm, and the baton used in the assault in the suspects’ hotel room.

The Gangseo Police Precinct has issued a public statement encouraging anyone with relevant information about the fugitives to come forward.

International manhunt for accomplices

The morning after the robbery attempt, police requested an overseas travel ban under the identity used to book the hotel room. It was later discovered that one of the suspects had already boarded a flight out of South Korea within hours of the crime and that the second had escaped the country shortly after.

Interpol has since been brought in to help track down the fugitives. A spokesperson for the Gangseo Police stated, “We have requested assistance from Interpol to track down the suspects who fled overseas. We are currently questioning the apprehended suspect on the motive and details of the crime and are considering filing for a pretrial detention warrant.”

Investigators are now working to determine whether or not the crime was premeditated by a larger criminal group or an isolated attempt at theft. The group used tactical equipment, such as body armor and a cash counter were found in the suspect’s room. This suggests a high level of preparation and so the South Korean police have not ruled out the possibility of additional accomplices or links to organized crime.

Surveillance footage from the hotel, digital communication records, and immigration data are all being reviewed as part of the investigation.

While legal in many jurisdictions, P2P crypto deals often lack proper security, making them a target for bad actors.

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