"Smuggled Goods?" Popular for Low Prices... 12 Global Snack Discount Stores Caught by Customs

Smuggling and Selling Snacks and Painkillers Disguised as Overseas Direct Purchases
Imported 300 Million Won Worth of Banned Snacks and Other Goods into Korea

Store owners who imported foreign snacks and other goods without declaration and sold them at global snack discount stores have been caught by customs authorities. It was revealed that they unpacked the smuggled products and displayed them individually for sale, without providing mandatory labeling such as expiration dates or Korean labeling information.

The site of the global snack discount store that imported and sold foreign snacks without reporting. Busan Main Customs Office

The Busan Main Customs Office announced on January 29 that it had referred four individuals, including Mr. A, the owner of a global snack discount store, to the prosecution without detention on charges of violating the Customs Act, Food Sanitation Act, and Pharmaceutical Affairs Act.

From January 2021 to June of last year, they are accused of illegally importing and distributing foreign snacks and over-the-counter medicines such as painkillers and digestive aids without reporting them to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The illegally imported goods were sold at 12 global snack discount stores nationwide, including in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.

During a market investigation of imported snacks, customs officials discovered that items registered as hazardous food with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety were being distributed. They then analyzed customs clearance records for imported snacks to identify the companies involved.

To evade law enforcement, Mr. A and others used the names of about 30 people, including employees and relatives, disguising the goods as personal overseas purchases and distributing the food and drugs in this way. The smuggled products were unpacked and displayed individually in stores, and were sold without expiration date labeling or the Korean labeling required by the Food Sanitation Act.

In particular, among the smuggled snacks were products banned from domestic distribution due to the risk of causing choking in children.

Snacks without Korean labeling. Busan Main Customs Office

The number of items smuggled and sold in this way amounted to approximately 75,000, with a market value of about 300 million won. Customs authorities confirmed that the suspects evaded about 49 million won in tariffs and other taxes during the illegal importation of snacks and other goods. Including additional taxes and penalties, about 83 million won will be collected.

An official from the Busan Main Customs Office stated, "Unlike officially imported products, it is difficult to track the distribution channels of overseas direct purchase items, making it hard for consumers to seek remedies if they suffer damages." The official added, "We will strictly crack down on illegal activities that abuse the simplified customs clearance system for e-commerce in order to foster a sound environment for overseas direct purchases."