[Exclusive] "Pay Money and Customs Documents Are Falsified"... Brokers Mocking Korea Customs Service

[Customs Service Betrayal]
Brokers Contacted Import Companies Going to Peru
"Customs Documents Can Be Made If You Pay"
Customs Service Fails to Identify Companies Involved in Manipulation Suspicions
Responds "Under Investigation..." to Questions on Actual Conditions

The Korea Customs Service has launched an investigation into the origin verification of Peruvian mung beans imported into the country, and it has been confirmed that a broker in Peru proposed document forgery to our import companies. There were even reports locally about Koreans who purchased documents, but the Customs Service was reportedly unaware of these facts. While some of the companies that prepared the documents may have been involved in the forgery, the Customs Service has not made any statements.

According to reporting by Asia Economy on the 6th, representatives and officials from more than three import companies all testified that they received multiple proposals from brokers in Peru to "pay money and forge documents." These proposals occurred during the process of domestic import companies trying to obtain origin verification documents locally in Peru. The Customs Service notified import companies that the origin of Peruvian mung beans imported duty-free into Korea was unclear and demanded that they repay the 607.5% tariff reduction they had received. In response, Korean import companies went directly to Peru to request the documents required by the Customs Service, but instead, they were offered connections to brokers who would fabricate the documents.

A representative from an import company said, "When I asked a Peruvian company to comply with the Customs Service's request for document submission, they suggested it might be better to pay money and create the documents," adding, "I told them that was not acceptable, but I wonder if I was the only one who received such a proposal." A representative from another import company, B, revealed, "I heard about companies buying documents with money," and "A Peruvian company asked me if I wanted documents because Koreans were buying and carrying them around." The amount of money local brokers demanded from import companies in exchange for document forgery reached up to tens of millions of won.

Customs Service Unaware of Document Forgery Involvement... Silent on Inquiry About Actual Conditions

Local brokers propose document forgery because the situation of Korean import companies is so desperate. The documents the Customs Service requested from Peruvian companies and farmers include bank account statements, remittance records, accounting books, tax reports, and cultivation details. Many Peruvian companies refuse to submit these citing trade secrets, and farmers often cannot provide documents because they are illiterate. Domestic companies are forced to persuade local parties in Peru to secure documents, but most attempts have failed. If the document submission demanded by the Customs Service is not fulfilled, companies will have no choice but to close down.

Import companies insist that the Customs Service must thoroughly investigate the suspicions of document forgery. If any companies were involved in forgery, only those who cooperated honestly with the investigation are facing the risk of bankruptcy. In fact, some companies have submitted the documents requested by the Customs Service, but businesspeople who have been to Peru directly express strong doubts about how all the documents could have been obtained.

A representative from import company C said, "Of course, some companies may have perfectly prepared all these documents," but complained, "Since the Customs Service demands documents that are difficult to provide, companies might consider methods like document forgery instead." He added, "If that was the case, I might as well have paid a bribe to create the documents myself."

Incheon Customs and the Korea Customs Service, which conducted two investigations in Peru, reportedly did not grasp these forgery suspicions or the authenticity of the documents. When asked about the fact that domestic companies received proposals for document forgery and the possibility of involvement in submission forgery, the Customs Service did not respond. The Customs Service stated, "Since the investigation and taxation procedures are ongoing, it is difficult to comment on the details."

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