Gang Arrested for Selling 'KF94 Mask' with Kitchen Towel Inside Packaging

A group that inserted kitchen towels into KF94 mask packaging to deceive customers into thinking they were genuine masks has been arrested by the police. A police officer is showing the packaging made by the group and the kitchen towels inside it. Photo by Suwon Jungbu Police Station

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Seulgi Kim] As the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused a shortage of masks, a group was caught by the police for selling kitchen towels disguised as KF94 masks.

The Suwon Jungbu Police Station in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 24th that they had sent A (34) to the prosecution in custody on charges of fraud and violation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, and sent nine others including B, who participated in the crime, to the prosecution without detention but with a recommendation for indictment.

A and others are accused of producing 98,400 fake masks by placing kitchen towels inside pre-prepared KF94 mask packaging at a one-room apartment in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, since early this month, and deceiving about 130 million won.

According to the police investigation, they took advantage of the fact that three masks are contained in one package and confirmed that they put three kitchen towels inside to create a similar thickness.

A and others posted on the social networking service (SNS) 'WeChat' with the message "Masks for sale," and sold all the illegal masks to victim C, who contacted them after seeing the post.

Initially, they planned to produce fake masks and export them to China, but due to government notifications (emergency supply adjustment measures for masks and hand sanitizers), overseas exports became impossible, so they distributed them domestically, according to the investigation.

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