Seoul City Intensifies Crackdown on Illegal Trade of Medical Masks and Hand Sanitizers

Mass Cash Purchases and Online Sales Fraud Uncovered
National Tax Service and Food and Drug Administration to Verify Tax Evasion

Online Fraud Action Planned Using Deposit Bait
City Operating Online Shopping Damage Reporting Center

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] On the 13th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it is conducting inspections on price trends and supply status at retail stores in the city to prevent illegal trading of health masks and hand sanitizers aimed at preventing COVID-19 infection.

Separately from the government joint inspections, the city is conducting focused crackdowns by deploying specialized investigators from the joint inspection team of the city and autonomous districts as well as the Civil Affairs Judicial Police Unit.

Inspection results showed that health masks KF94 were being sold at 2,000 to 4,000 KRW each, and hand sanitizers were sold at 2,000 to 8,000 KRW per 100ml. Cases of bulk cash purchases of related products and online sales fraud were also detected.

So far, about 120 distribution companies have been inspected, revealing various cases such as trading approximately 180,000 masks in cash with overseas traders and purchasing about 200,000 masks in cash at personal massage shops operated by foreigners. The city plans to notify the National Tax Service and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety regarding suspected tax evasion and other issues.

Additionally, a seller who distributed 1,800 bottles of expired sanitizer and forged the manufacturing date after the expiration was caught, and fraud cases demanding deposit payments under the pretense of bulk transactions on the online secondhand marketplace Junggonara were also confirmed, with measures to be taken accordingly.

Furthermore, an investigation is underway on 250 online shopping malls selling masks and other products at prices more than 50% higher than the consumer group’s announced standard price (1,182 KRW for KF94 products).

Meanwhile, the city is operating a dedicated reporting center for damages related to online shopping of masks and hand sanitizers. Over 150 reports have been received.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.