(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Yoon-gu = The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency announced on the 29th that it has criminally punished 18 small-scale traders (also known as "pocket traders") who were caught illegally importing and selling prohibited raw fruits through social media.
They formed groups of 3 to 5 people, and when caught for illegal imports, they paid fines as a group rather than individually, and used people with no prior record of fines to carry other people's bags, etc., to carry out illegal imports in an organized manner.
The metropolitan investigation team decided to indict them in the prosecution instead of imposing fines, applying the charge of attempted illegal import of prohibited items rather than simple unregistered carry-on items.
Attempted illegal import of prohibited items can result in imprisonment for up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won.
The Quarantine Agency stated that as the illegal importation of prohibited items such as raw fruits from Southeast Asia has increased and the crime has become more organized and intelligent, it established a metropolitan investigation team last April to thoroughly investigate and strictly punish these activities.
The number of cases of illegal import of agricultural and livestock products through special delivery or carry-on has increased threefold over three years, reaching 213,000 cases last year.
The Quarantine Agency executed 23 cases (26 people) and 14 cases (14 people) for indictment and referral, respectively, and 5 cases for forced investigation (execution of search warrants), and seized 1,361 kg of raw fruits from Vietnam and Thailand, and 347 kg of illegally imported raw fruits stored before distribution.
The Quarantine Agency continues to conduct planned investigations using special judicial police nationwide, focusing on illegal imports of Chinese apples and pet insects, and plans to punish habitual violators without tolerance.
Kim Jeong-hee, Director of the Quarantine Agency, said, "In the context of changing agricultural ecosystems due to climate change, importing prohibited items such as raw fruits without quarantine can directly lead to agricultural damage due to the domestic influx of foreign pests and diseases," and stated the intention to strengthen border quarantine and investigation and respond severely to habitual law violations to protect domestic agriculture.
The Quarantine Agency urged that when carrying agricultural and livestock products upon entering the country after traveling abroad during the Chuseok holiday, it is necessary to report to the quarantine authorities.