639 Million Masks Secured Through Hoarding Crackdown... Police Arrest 175 for Sales Fraud and Related Charges

On the 4th, residents are lining up in front of a pharmacy in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to purchase masks as the government is considering a plan to sell masks exclusively at pharmacies. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The police have launched a large-scale investigation into activities disrupting the mask distribution order amid the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). So far, more than 140 individuals involved in hoarding and fraudulent sales of masks have been apprehended by the police, and over 6 million masks have been secured.

According to the National Police Agency on the 5th, a total of 72 cases related to mask hoarding were uncovered, and 151 people were arrested as of that day. During the crackdown, 6.39 million masks confirmed were arranged to be distributed through official sales channels.

By type, there were 37 cases of warehouse storage by sellers and distributors, 3 cases of obstruction of on-site inspections by public officials, 13 cases of violation of sales volume reporting obligations, 1 case of warehouse storage by manufacturers, and 18 cases of other distribution order disturbances such as sales of defective masks.

The methods of hoarding were also diverse. In Busan, the head of a manufacturing company was caught storing 280,000 masks in four different locations after production with the intent to make excessive profits. In Seoul, three people were arrested on charges of hoarding 60,000 masks for export to China and selling 40,000 masks without reporting sales volume to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

Additionally, a manufacturer was booked for forging certification and deceiving customers by selling 1.2 million ordinary hanji masks as functional masks through online shopping malls. Also, one individual was caught after borrowing an acquaintance’s ID to purchase 6,000 masks using a macro (auto-completion) program and reselling them at double the price.

A large number of mask sales fraud cases were also uncovered. The police investigated 2,970 cases nationwide, uncovering 93 cases and booking 24 people, of whom 18 were detained. The fraudsters mainly deceived buyers on secondhand trading sites, mom cafes, and social networking services (SNS) by pretending to sell masks in bulk and only taking the money. They also sold defective masks as normal products.

In Seoul, a fraudster who pretended to sell 43,000 masks and embezzled 110 million won from three people was arrested. In Chungnam, three mask manufacturers and sellers who sold 55,000 defective masks, which had been ordered for recall and disposal by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, on internet shopping malls were sent to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment.

The police deployed 1,254 personnel from local police agencies and stations to operate a "Special Crackdown Team on Mask Distribution Order Disruption," while designating 346 dedicated investigators for sales fraud cases, strengthening the crackdown system on illegal mask-related activities. A National Police Agency official said, "We will focus our efforts on cracking down on mask hoarding and sales fraud that exploit the heightened public confusion. Masks confirmed during the crackdown will be promptly distributed to the public through organic cooperation with the government-wide joint crackdown team."

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