South Korean Police Call in Profilers to Question Incheon Stabbing Suspect
Police in multiple countries made arrests this week in unrelated cases involving a mass stabbing in South Korea, liquid cocaine smuggling in Indonesia, espionage at an AI company in the United States, and money laundering tied to voice phishing scams in Japan and Vietnam.
Incheon Stabbing Spree
Three criminal profilers will help investigate the suspect behind this week's stabbing spree in Incheon that left eight people injured, police said Wednesday. [1] The profilers will help uncover the motive of the attack, which took place Tuesday afternoon at a shopping complex in the city west of Seoul, according to Incheon's Namdong Police Station. [1] The suspect, a 59-year-old man, was detained at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder and taken into custody, where he reportedly told investigators some details of the attack. [1] One victim, a woman in her 20s, went into cardiac arrest and received surgery, while the other seven were treated at hospitals. [1] The assailant reportedly wielded knives in both hands and attacked people while moving between floors on an escalator before shoppers threw chairs at him and subdued him. [1] He was found to be carrying a large quantity of drugs at the time, but tested negative in a preliminary drug test conducted by the police. [1] "We plan to apply for an arrest warrant for the suspect after questioning him today," a police official said. [1] This image from security camera footage provided by a reader shows the suspect of a stabbing spree that left eight people injured in a commercial complex in Incheon, west of Seoul, on Oct. 13, 2026. [1]
Bali Liquid Cocaine Smuggling Arrest
A 36-year-old Brazilian woman is being held in Bali on suspicion of smuggling more than 3.6 kg of liquid cocaine into Indonesia in shampoo and body care bottles, police said. [2] Customs officers and Bali Police narcotics investigators detained her at around 6 p.m. on Oct. 6 in the international arrivals terminal of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, shortly after she arrived from Brazil, state news agency Antara reported. [2] Police have identified her only by the initials TCDS. [2] Customs officers had flagged her suitcase, and a joint search in her presence turned up seven bottles holding a liquid suspected to be cocaine, Bali Police spokesman Ariasandy said in a statement. [2] Police put the liquid's gross weight at 3,659.9 grams and called the haul one of the largest liquid cocaine seizures in Bali in recent years. [2] "We are committed to ensuring there is no room for illicit drug trafficking in the Bali region," Ariasandy, who like many Indonesians uses only one name, told AFP. [2] The woman told police that a handler based in Brazil, identified only by the initial G, had promised her $50,000 to deliver the liquid cocaine to a contact in Bali who also worked for G, Kompas reported. [2] Investigators said she had also been promised accommodation and transport, with a flight out of Brazil booked for Oct. 5 and a return for Nov. 3. [2] Police have named her a suspect and are holding her at the Bali Police detention center while the investigation continues, Ariasandy said. [2] She is being investigated under Articles 609(2) and 610(2) of Indonesia's Criminal Code, which cover possession and import of Class I narcotics, the category that includes cocaine. [2] Ariasandy said the offenses carry a possible sentence of life in prison. [2] The text of Article 610(2), which applies to importing more than 5 grams of a non-plant Class I narcotic, also lists the death penalty and prison terms of up to 20 years among possible sentences. [2] A Brazilian suspect sits behind the shampoo and body care bottles that Bali police say held liquid cocaine. [2] Rina Isriana Dewi, who heads the public information unit of the Bali Police public relations division, said investigators were still tracing the suppliers behind the shipment and its final destination, Antara reported. [2] Indonesia has some of the world's toughest drug laws, including the death penalty for traffickers, and dozens of foreigners are on death row for drug offenses, AFP reported. [2] The country has not carried out an execution since 2016, when four people convicted of drug crimes were put to death by firing squad. [2] Its new Criminal Code, in force since Jan. 2, keeps capital punishment but adds a 10-year probation period after which a death sentence can be reduced to life or 20 years in prison, the AP reported. [2]
Saudi National Charged in OpenAI Bugging Case
A Saudi national employed by OpenAI was arrested after the artificial intelligence company discovered a hidden recording device in an executive conference room at its San Francisco office. [3] OpenAI discovered a recording device plugged into a USB port on the back of a television in an executive conference room at one of its San Francisco buildings last month. [5] U.S. federal agents have arrested a Saudi national who was an OpenAI engineer and charged him with installing a hidden audio recording device in an executive conference room at the AI company, the Justice Department said on Tuesday. [5] The case highlights growing security concerns around sensitive AI research as companies and governments compete fiercely for the talent and technology that could confer economic and strategic advantages. [5] Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, had worked as an engineer at OpenAI since July 2025, the Justice Department said in a statement. [5] An email sent to an address associated with that name did not elicit a response, and it was not immediately clear who his lawyer was. [5]
Vietnamese Woman Arrested in Japan Money Laundering Probe
Japanese police said Tuesday that they have arrested a 34-year-old Vietnamese woman on suspicion of money laundering via voice phishing, a tactic where fraudsters trick their victims into sharing sensitive financial information. [4] According to the National Police Agency (NPA), Nguyen Thi Huaon, who lives in Tokyo, has been charged with violating the organized crime punishment law. [4] Huaon is suspected of laundering ¥30 million ($189,000) stolen through voice phishing in March 2025. [4] She is also believed to have been involved in laundering tens of millions of yen in other cases through scam and money laundering groups. [4] The NPA’s cyber investigation squad analyzed losses totaling about ¥2.9 billion from around 80 voice phishing cases between October 2024 and April 2025, and found that about ¥1.5 billion of the money had been transferred to Vietnam. [4] The NPA squad then detected Huaon’s involvement in the money transfer by analyzing smartphone data seized in a separate case involving Vietnamese money mules. [4] According to investigative sources, the scam group posed as financial institutions and used automated phone calls notifying companies of internet banking service renewals. [4] The group then sent emails with links to fake websites to those who responded, instructing them to enter IDs and passwords on the websites in order to steal their information. [4] Funds stolen through the scheme were transferred to an account of the money laundering group in Vietnam, which Huaon introduced to the scam group. [4] After passing through several other accounts, the funds were withdrawn from ATMs in Japan by Vietnamese money mules and returned to the scam group, including in the form of crypto assets. [4] She and the money laundering group received a share of the stolen funds as compensation. [4] Given that the funds were withdrawn within a few hours after being stolen, the NPA believes that Huaon played a key role in avoiding account freezes. [4] Prefectural police departments in Saitama, Yamagata, Ibaraki, Gunma and Chiba have set up a joint investigative taskforce regarding voice phishing cases. [4] Vietnamese media reported Sunday that local authorities have charged seven people over the case, based on cooperation among Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security, Vietnamese police and the NPA. [4] The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to identify others involved in the network and clarify the full scope of the alleged crimes, the reports said. [4] The coordinated exchange of operational intelligence and cross-border electronic data enabled investigators to trace individual on-chain transactions, follow the movement of funds and identify key links in the network, the reports said, citing the Vietnamese ministry. [4]
Ongoing Investigations
Authorities in each case continue to probe motives, additional suspects, suppliers, and the full scope of the networks. [1] [2] [4] [5]
What to watch next: Investigators plan to apply for an arrest warrant after further questioning in the Incheon case, trace suppliers and final destinations in the Bali seizure, and identify others involved in the voice phishing network through ongoing cross-border cooperation.
