[2021 National Audit] Illegal Import of Viagra and Other Drugs on the Rise... Need for Strengthened Supervision

Data on Illegal Import Detection of Pharmaceuticals by Item Over the Past 5 Years. Provided by the Office of Assemblyman Go Yong-jin

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] There are calls for strengthened supervision by customs authorities in response to the rampant smuggling of illegal pharmaceuticals such as Viagra and deer placenta.

According to data submitted by the Korea Customs Service to Assemblyman Ko Yong-jin (Democratic Party, Seoul Nowon Gap) of the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee on the 18th, the total value of illegal pharmaceuticals brought into the country over the past five years amounts to 69.6 billion KRW.

By item, most of the illegal pharmaceuticals are those that cannot be purchased domestically without a prescription or whose ingredients themselves are illegal, including Viagra, deer placenta supplements, erectile dysfunction treatments, and steroids.

The Korea Customs Service has issued warnings for 631 out of a total of 713 detected cases, while the remaining cases have been prosecuted.

In particular, Assemblyman Ko argues that supervision must be strengthened in response to the recent increase in illegal imports using express cargo and international mail.

Individuals mainly bring overseas direct purchase items into the country through express cargo and international mail, which have the advantage of faster customs clearance compared to general cargo.

At this time, most inspections of express cargo and international mail are conducted using X-rays. The problem is that smugglers exploit this by placing Viagra in snack boxes or declaring the items as supplements or other cargo, leading to a surge in smuggling activities and an increase in the scale of smuggling.

Assemblyman Ko stated, "With the increase in international trade and overseas direct purchases due to COVID-19, the import of illegal pharmaceuticals has also increased significantly, threatening public health," and emphasized, "Customs authorities need to strengthen crackdowns on illegal imports exploiting loopholes in simplified and list-based customs clearance."