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Police in Jeju island, South Korea, reported Monday that they detained five Chinese nationals for false imprisonment of a fellow compatriot after refusing to agree on terms of a gambling debt of 271,787.40 yuan (about US$38,000).According to police, the victim had initially borrowed the sum for gambling purposes, agreeing to a 10 percent interest rate. However, the suspects allegedly increased the interest to 20 percent three days later, of which the victim refused to comply.Following his refusal to sign the renewed terms of the agreement, the suspects confined him in a local hotel room. He managed to alert authorities in the early hours of Thursday, leading to the suspects' arrest at the scene.The suspects reportedly denied any wrongdoing. They face charges of unlawful imprisonment and violating the Interest Limitation Act, which caps annual interest rates at 20 percent.The incident reflects a recurring pattern of gambling debt-related disputes involving Chinese nationals on Jeju Island, a popular tourist destination known for its visa-free policy since 2002.The island's eight foreigner-only casinos, which attracted 139,610 visitors and generated revenue of 489 million yuan in the first half of 2023, have been a significant draw among Chinese tourists, leading to occasional illegal lending practices related to gambling money.On Nov. 14, local police apprehended eight Chinese nationals for assaulting and robbing another Chinese individual over a gambling debt of 550,000 yuan. In a similar case on Nov. 19, a Chinese national was arrested for forcibly detaining a compatriot in a hotel room over a 198,000 yuan debt.
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