Selling Antibiotics and Cold Medicine... Gang Illegally Selling Yak to Foreign Residents Arrested

Gyeongnam Police Arrest 13 for Violating Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, Detain 1

Seize 100 Types of Medicines and Secure 54.8 Million Won in Confiscation

Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency. / Photo by Se-ryeong Lee ryeong@

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] A group involved in illegally selling pharmaceuticals to foreigners by operating unregistered pharmacies has been apprehended by the police.

On the 9th, the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency announced that they arrested 13 individuals, including pharmacy operators who illegally sold pharmaceuticals and wholesalers who distributed and supplied the drugs, on charges of violating the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, with one person being detained.

According to the International Crime Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Investigation Unit of the Provincial Police Agency, from April 2021 to July of last year, they operated unregistered pharmacies inside apartments in Gimhae City and sold pharmaceuticals to foreigners residing in South Korea.

The operators of the unregistered pharmacies displayed around 100 types of pharmaceuticals, including prescription drugs such as antibiotics and over-the-counter drugs like cold medicine, digestive aids, and painkillers, in display cases and promoted them to foreigners residing in the country through social media platforms.

Payments were received via bank accounts, and the pharmaceuticals were illegally sold by shipping them through courier services.

The suspects exploited the fact that foreign residents, due to language barriers or illegal residency status, found it difficult to receive medical treatment or purchase pharmaceuticals at regular hospitals or pharmacies, selling the drugs at prices 10-15% higher than market rates to gain illicit profits.

The police seized 7,465 units of 100 types of pharmaceuticals from the apartment where the unregistered pharmacy was operated and preemptively confiscated approximately 54.8 million KRW in criminal proceeds earned from the illegal sales before prosecution.

Through analysis of the pharmaceutical distribution process and financial tracking, the police additionally identified and arrested 10 distributors, including 2 pharmacy operators, 3 wholesalers, and 5 brokers who supplied the pharmaceuticals to the suspects.

The International Crime Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Investigation Unit plans to continue cracking down on illegal online pharmaceutical sales targeting foreigners and expand investigations into pharmaceuticals illegally distributed among foreign residents, strictly responding to violations of medical order.

A police official emphasized, “Purchasing pharmaceuticals online without a doctor’s consultation and prescription or pharmacist’s dispensing and medication guidance is not only extremely dangerous to health but also subject to punishment.”

He added, “If there are cases of false or exaggerated advertising and illegal distribution of pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, or medical devices sold illegally online, we urge the public to actively report and provide information to the police.”

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