Two Illegal Drug Smugglers Arrested for "Having COVID-19 Prevention Effects"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Two members of a group smuggling unauthorized hair loss treatment drugs and other prescription medicines from India and other countries were arrested.

Gwangju Main Customs (Customs Director Jeong Seung-hwan) announced on the 3rd that, in cooperation with the Food and Drug Safety Ministry Cyber Investigation Team and Mokpo Customs, they arrested two members of the group for violating the Customs Act and the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act.

They are suspected of smuggling 3 million unauthorized prescription medicines, including hair loss treatment drugs whose safety has not been verified, from India and other countries from November 2019 to June this year, with a sales value of 1.6 billion KRW.

Noting that overseas medicines are cheaper than domestically approved prescription medicines, they smuggled and sold not only hair loss treatment drugs, erectile dysfunction treatment drugs, acne treatment drugs, and diet pills but also deworming drugs advertised as effective for COVID-19 prevention and treatment.

To evade investigation authorities’ tracking, they placed their internet shopping mall servers overseas, received payment into nominee accounts, and used burner phones to respond to customers.

They were caught by investigation authorities while storing illegally imported medicines in their office.

A Gwangju Main Customs official urged, "Since selling medicines through the internet is illegal, consumers must purchase only approved products at pharmacies with a doctor’s prescription for prescription medicines and must not buy through overseas direct purchase or the internet."

An official from the Food and Drug Safety Ministry stated, "Using unauthorized hair loss treatment drugs or erectile dysfunction treatment drugs carries the risk of serious side effects, so caution is required."

Information on approved medicines, including product names, ingredients, efficacy, and dosage, can be checked on the Food and Drug Safety Ministry’s Medicine Safety Nation website.

Gwangju Main Customs and the Food and Drug Safety Ministry Cyber Investigation Team plan to eradicate medicine smuggling and illegal internet sales based on mutual cooperation to protect public health.

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