South Korean Police Accuse Elderly Trio of Spiking Golfer's Coffee in $52,000 Betting Fraud

South Korean authorities have referred three men in their 60s and 70s to prosecutors after alleging they drugged a fellow golfer to secure a 75 million won (about $52,000) win. The scheme centered on a July 30 match at a golf course in Gyeonggi Province outside Seoul. The suspects first targeted the victim in May and spent months building trust through smaller, intentionally lost bets.

How the Alleged Scam Unfolded

Investigators say the trio struck when the victim left for the restroom before teeing off. One man watched the entrance while another poured a pre-prepared psychotropic drug into the disposable coffee cup. The victim then played two full rounds totaling 36 holes despite clear impairment to his motor skills and judgment.

After the match the men claimed victory at a restaurant and secured a transfer of the full amount to an account they controlled. Security footage captured the spiking, the lookout role, and the handover. Forensic tests on the victim's urine and hair found the substances, which prescription records confirmed had never been legitimately prescribed to him. One suspect sourced the drugs and recruited the victim, another handled the spike and the financial transfer, and the third acted as lookout before later laundering the proceeds.

Seoul’s Namdaemun Police Station referred the case on Oct. 30 on suspicion of fraud and violating the Narcotics Control Act. One man remains in custody; the other two were referred without detention. The victim grew suspicious afterward and contacted police, with MBC television reporting the drug’s capacity to cause short-term memory loss. Neither the course nor the individuals have been named publicly.

Police Warning on Drug Crimes in Everyday Leisure

A police official stated, as translated by The Korea Herald: “This case shows that drug-related crime has penetrated the everyday spaces where citizens go to enjoy their leisure time. We will respond sternly to drug crimes that disrupt ordinary life and mobilize all investigative resources to eradicate related offenses.”

As reported by Casino.org, the matter remains with prosecutors. The episode demonstrates how informal high-stakes betting arrangements can overlap with narcotics offenses and how readily available surveillance and forensic tools can expose them.