Illegal Imports of Agricultural and Livestock Products on the Rise Every Year... 'Metropolitan Investigation Team' Launched for Dedicated Response

The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency announced on April 20 that it launched a dedicated investigative unit, the Metropolitan Investigation Team, on April 18 in response to the increasing number of illegal imports of agricultural and livestock products that have not undergone quarantine, as well as the rise in organized and sophisticated crimes.

Last year, the number of cases in which illegally imported agricultural and livestock products were detected and disposed of at border areas such as airports and ports?through mail, cargo, or hand-carried baggage?reached 213,000, a figure that continues to grow annually. In addition, there were 1,878 cases where fines were imposed for failing to report quarantine at the time of import, and there were 64 cases of investigations (including referrals, prosecutions, and preliminary investigations) related to suspicions of illegal imports.

Officials from the Metropolitan Investigation Team, which was launched on the 18th, are taking a commemorative photo.

An official from the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency stated, "Recently, there have been cases where illegally imported agricultural and livestock products are traded through social networking services (SNS). The use of slang and abbreviations related to these crimes is becoming more covert, further increasing the importance of digital forensics for detection and evidence gathering."

Digital forensics is an investigative technique that secures evidence of criminal activity by collecting and analyzing digital data such as call and email records.

The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency has established the Metropolitan Investigation Team and a Digital Forensics Center to respond to the increase in illegal imports of agricultural and livestock products, as well as the growing sophistication and secrecy of criminal methods.

The newly launched Metropolitan Investigation Team is located at the agency's Central Regional Headquarters in Incheon. Selected members of the special judicial police will serve as dedicated investigators. The team will initially focus on cases arising in the central region (Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and Chungcheong), with plans to expand its investigative scope in the future to the southern region (Yeongnam, Honam, and Jeju).

Additionally, the agency has established a Digital Forensics Center equipped with specialized equipment, analysis rooms, and observation rooms, enabling the Metropolitan Investigation Team to conduct digital forensics in-house, rather than relying on external agencies. This has enhanced the team's ability to analyze digital evidence.

Kim Jeonghee, head of the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, stated, "With the establishment of the Metropolitan Investigation Team and the Digital Forensics Center, we expect to be able to conduct thorough and scientific investigations into offenders. We will continue to strengthen crackdowns on illegally imported agricultural and livestock products that violate quarantine regulations."