Jeonnam Police Investigate 64 People
on Charges of Violating the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act
The heads of export companies and employees of foreigner-only food marts have been apprehended by the police for smuggling pharmaceuticals that are either banned or restricted from being brought into South Korea and supplying them to these marts.
The Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit of the Criminal Investigation Squad at the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency is currently investigating 64 individuals, including A (a 52-year-old woman), the head of an import-export company, on charges of violating the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. The suspects consist of 63 business owners and 1 employee.
A is accused of smuggling over 200 types of general and prescription pharmaceuticals, which are banned from being imported into South Korea, from overseas beginning around December 2023. She then supplied these to owners of Southeast Asian food marts in Korea, who subsequently sold them.
A reportedly exploited the fact that foreigners residing in South Korea tend to prefer pharmaceuticals from their home countries over painkillers and other medicines sold in Korea. She secretly brought in pharmaceuticals from a local purchasing agent in Thailand and supplied them to Southeast Asian food marts located in areas with high concentrations of foreigners.
During an inspection of the distribution of narcotic products at Southeast Asian food marts, the police identified the import-export company in question. They then directly checked 63 sales outlets nationwide, including in Gyeonggi, Daejeon, Gwangju, Chungbuk, Chungnam, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, Jeonbuk, and Jeonnam, apprehending all those involved.
In the course of the arrests, the police seized approximately 5,700 items of about 200 types of pharmaceuticals, with a wholesale value of around 20 million won.
An official from the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency stated, "Pharmaceuticals, when misused or abused, pose serious and fatal risks to life, body, and health, and it is particularly difficult to provide remedies after harm has occurred. We will continue to strengthen intelligence gathering and crackdowns to ensure that there are no blind spots in the illegal distribution of pharmaceuticals."
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