Seven individuals, including those involved in smuggling unauthorized skin laser surgery medical devices from China and distributing them domestically, have been apprehended by the coast guard.
The Southern Regional Korean Coast Guard has arrested two individuals, including a person in their 50s identified as Mr. A, for violating the Medical Devices Act and other charges, while five others have been booked without detention.
Mr. A is accused of smuggling laser surgery medical devices from China from 2019 until June of this year and distributing over 4,600 units to skincare businesses nationwide.
He allegedly profited illicitly by selling unauthorized devices for prices ranging from 200,000 won to 2 million won each, securing around 3.2 billion won in illegal gains.
These laser surgery medical devices were used for removing skin tattoos, blemishes, and moles, classified as third-degree risk among the four levels of potential risk to the human body under the Medical Devices Act.
Using devices without approval from the Korea Food and Drug Administration could lead to adverse effects such as burns and inflammation.
The investigation revealed that an arrested distributor, Mr. B, and another individual smuggled medical devices by disguising them as parts or falsely declaring them as other items at customs, subsequently distributing them to skincare businesses, amassing 460 million won and 220 million won, respectively.
It was further exposed that most transactions were conducted without contracts or documentation to evade detection and tax obligations.
The coast guard is also pursuing a Korean-Chinese woman suspected of supplying large quantities of laser surgery medical devices to Mr. A and others, with plans to rigorously address the crime of smuggling illegal medical devices.
[Photo Source: Provided by Southern Regional Korean Coast Guard]