Police uncover illegal online sales of steroids, Viagra by licensed wholesalers
Three licensed wholesalers allegedly diverted prescription drugs worth 360 million won ($254,000) through illegal online sales, with hundreds of buyers paying steep markups.
Illegally produced Viagra pills are seen in a glass jar at a state-run food safety institution in western Seoul on June 4, 2024.YONHAP
Three licensed pharmaceutical wholesalers were caught siphoning off and illegally selling hundreds of millions of won worth of prescription drugs — namely, steroids and Viagra.
Hundreds of buyers paid up to 10 times the retail price for easy access to prescription drugs without seeing a doctor, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency said Thursday.
It booked three prescription drug wholesalers without detention on charges of illegally distributing prescription drugs online in violation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act.
The wholesalers, licensed by local authorities, reportedly diverted steroid-based medications, Viagra and weight-loss supplements from August 2024 through April last year. They then advertised and sold the products illegally online, including through Telegram.
The suspects received payments through bank accounts opened under other people’s names. Investigators found that they sold 360 million won ($254,000) worth of drugs in 3,003 transactions at five to 10 times the retail price.
Police believe the wholesalers diverted the drugs from legitimate distribution channels by falsifying inventory records.
Online advertisement for illegally siphoned-off Viagra and steroid pills. Advertising slogans include "Discount prices" and "Male stamina."BUSAN METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY
Among the roughly 300 identified buyers were gym trainers and bodybuilders, according to police. They were willing to pay steep markups because the sellers offered access to steroids without a medical consultation or prescription. Those who purchased the drugs from them are not subject to criminal charges but may have to pay administrative fines, law enforcement said.
Police determined that a total of 12 people had participated in the scheme.
The investigation found that the ringleader, a person in their 30s who was well-versed in prescription drug inventory management, planned the scheme in consultation with the wholesaler and others, and that some members of the group were responsible for supply, sales and shipping, as well as securing borrowed-name bank accounts.
The ringleader and another person responsible for sales and shipping were detained.
Police also apprehended another suspect in their 30s who allegedly posed as an ordinary traveler to smuggle prescription drugs into Korea from overseas.
Steroid-medications and Viagra pills prepared for illegal distributionBUSAN METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY
Of the 360 million won worth of drugs sold illegally, police believe the three domestic wholesalers supplied about 70 percent, while the suspect who posed as a tourist provided the remaining 30 percent.
Police seized 500 million won worth of unsold drugs found at the group’s offices and other locations. They also obtained a court order freezing 35 million won worth of assets, including cash and real estate, for possible forfeiture.
“We identified a structural weakness that allowed wholesalers to easily divert prescription drugs by entering false inventory figures,” a police official said. “We have notified the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the relevant public health centers to fix the irregularities, and we plan to expand the investigation.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
