Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police Crack Down on Illegal Distribution of Unapproved Prescription Drugs Including Steroids

Gyeonggi Province has taken strong action to eradicate the illegal distribution of unapproved prescription drugs, which are rapidly spreading through contactless distribution channels.

The Gyeonggi-do Special Judicial Police Unit announced on the 23rd that from this month through October it will conduct intensive crackdowns focusing on pharmaceuticals that are frequently traded illegally, including prescription-only erectile dysfunction treatments and steroids, as well as abortion pills whose import and sale are completely banned in Korea. The Special Judicial Police Unit plans to thoroughly track both online and offline illegal distribution networks that operate covertly to evade enforcement.

This investigation was launched based on the assessment that prescription drugs, which are being indiscriminately sold without a doctor's prescription through social networking services (SNS) and open chat rooms, pose a serious threat to the health of residents of the province.

Guidance poster on 'Illegal Distribution of Unapproved Pharmaceuticals' by the Gyeonggi-do Special Judicial Police Unit

The Special Judicial Police Unit will investigate social networking services, secondhand trading platforms, and adult product shops to track senders and delivery agents, while simultaneously requesting professional institutions to verify pharmaceutical ingredients and commissioning manufacturers to conduct pharmaceutical appraisals.

Under the current Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, any unlicensed person who sells pharmaceuticals or acquires them for the purpose of sale, or who sells, stores for sale, or displays items labeled or advertised in a manner similar to pharmaceuticals, is subject to imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million won. In particular, if a person illegally purchases steroid-based injectable drugs, the purchaser is also subject to an administrative fine of up to 1 million won.

Kwon Moonju, head of the Gyeonggi-do Special Judicial Police Unit, said, "The illegal distribution of prescription drugs is a very serious crime because misuse or abuse can cause fatal side effects," adding, "We will focus our capabilities on thoroughly investigating illegal distribution and, through continuous public outreach, raising awareness of the dangers of illegal drugs so as to create a pharmaceutical distribution environment in which residents of the province can feel safe."

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