South Korea seeks Interpol’s help to arrest 2 Chinese men over ashes theft in Jeju

South Korea’s police have requested help from Interpol to hunt down two Chinese men accused of stealing ashes of the dead for ransom on the southern island of Jeju.

The duo, who were suspected to have fled the country, had allegedly broken into a columbarium earlier this week to steal six urns, local media reported on Thursday.

Police have requested an Interpol red notice to capture the suspects, both in their 40s.

A red notice indicates a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest the wanted individuals, but discretion lies with Interpol member states on whether to follow through.

According to South Korean public broadcaster KBS, the case was discovered and reported to police by families visiting the columbarium.

“It felt like the sky was falling, and I was so shocked that I could only think about finding them. My siblings, who live far away, all came down as soon as they heard the news,” a member of one of the affected families told KBS.