"Anyone Want to Be a 'Guava and Rambutan Porter'?... Crime Ring Using Travelers for Illegal Imports Busted"

Recruiting Vietnamese Travelers to Secretly Bring in Fruits and Vegetables
Sold via Live Broadcasts on SNS
4,300 kg Illegally Imported and Distributed Over Six Months

A group that recruited so-called "porters" among Vietnamese travelers to secretly bring in fresh fruit such as guava and rambutan, then illegally imported these items into Korea and sold them on social networking services (SNS), has been apprehended. The amount of fruit distributed identified in the investigation alone amounts to 4,300 kilograms.

The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency announced on September 2 that it had uncovered a group illegally importing and distributing Vietnamese fresh fruit and fruit-type vegetables banned from import. Among them, one Vietnamese national and one naturalized Vietnamese citizen, both key figures leading the domestic distribution of these prohibited items, have been referred to the prosecutor's office.

Illegal imported prohibited items (Vietnamese guava, longan, rambutan, fresh chili peppers, etc.). Quarantine Headquarters

According to the investigation by the agency’s special judicial police officers, the group conspired to import and distribute the banned items by dividing roles into import, wholesale, and retail. Specifically, the importer, referred to as Person A, recruited travelers (porters) arriving from Vietnam to Korea to bring the prohibited goods in travel suitcases and carry-on baggage. Wholesaler B then received those goods, recruited retailers, including Person C, for domestic sales and shared photos and prices of prohibited items in group chats on social networking services. Thereafter, the retailers used this information to sell the illegally imported fruits and vegetables directly to individual customers through live broadcasts on their own SNS accounts, receiving commissions from Wholesaler B.

The Quarantine Agency detected repeated attempts to sell banned items during routine online monitoring of agricultural products. By conducting digital forensics on mobile phones and investigating bank statements, the agency was able to confirm the detailed distribution pathway from illegal import to retail sale. As a result, it was found that, from December 2024 to May 2025—a period of about six months—the amount of illegally imported and distributed fruits such as guava, longan, rambutan, and fruit-type vegetables like fresh chili peppers reached approximately 4,300 kilograms.

The agency also confirmed that, in addition to distributing banned products domestically, Wholesaler B and Retailer C were directly involved in the illegal import process, and both have been sent to the prosecutor’s office with recommendations for indictment. A separate investigation into Importer A is ongoing, and authorities believe there may be more cases of illegal imports of prohibited items using travelers as porters, so the investigation will be expanded. According to the Plant Protection Act, importing prohibited items or making false or unreported declarations of quarantine-regulated goods is punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won.

Notably, under the amendment to the Plant Protection Act, from December 17 of this year, anyone involved in the domestic distribution process of illegally imported prohibited items will also be subject to criminal penalties. The agency expects that it will now be able to conduct more effective investigations and crackdowns on all aspects of illegal importation and distribution activities.

Choi Jeongrok, the head of the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, stated, "Illegally imported prohibited items can introduce foreign pests and diseases into the country, which would cause significant damage not only to the natural environment, but also to agriculture, rural economies, and the nation's food security. We will continue to thoroughly investigate and crack down on illegal imports and distribution in order to establish a sound quarantine order."

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