6 arrested after making US$200,000 from stolen golf balls

Balls were recovered from lakes on courses, repolished

　

Six South Koreans were arrested on charges of having resold golf balls stolen from golf courses across the nation, police said. An additional four others were being investigated for having bought golf balls from the group, knowing they were stolen, and then reselling them to golfers, the police added.

According to a precinct police station in Incheon, three brothers, along with three accomplices, stealthily recovered around 1.51 million golf balls (an equivalent value of 450 million won, or US$450,000) sitting on the bottom of ponds at a total of 53 golf courses across the nation. They made the raids between April 2003 and June this year.

Police explained that other four being investigated polished the cache obtained from the thieves and sold the golf balls at 170 to 300 won each in Incheon and some parts of Gyeonggi Province. They allegedly pocketed some 200 million won in profit from the sales.