Quarantine Authorities Crack Down on Ring Illegally Distributing 4.3 Tons of Prohibited Vietnamese Plants

The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency announced today (the 2nd) that it has cracked down on a group that illegally imported and distributed approximately 4.3 tons of plants banned from import, including fresh Vietnamese fruits and fruiting vegetables.

The quarantine agency has forwarded two individuals involved—a Vietnamese national and a naturalized Vietnamese citizen who led the distribution—to the prosecution.

An investigation by the agency's special judicial police officers revealed that the suspects divided roles into importing, wholesaling, and retailing to carry out the crimes.

The importer, A, recruited travelers arriving from Vietnam, known as "porters," to smuggle the prohibited items in split quantities using travel bags or carry-on luggage.

The wholesaler, B, received the goods, recruited domestic sellers including the retailer, C, and shared photos and price information of the prohibited items in group chat rooms on social media networks (SNS).

The retailers used this information to sell the prohibited items to consumers on their respective SNS platforms and received commissions from B, according to the investigation.

After detecting recurring patterns of prohibited item sales during online agricultural product crackdowns, the quarantine agency specifically traced the distribution route from illegal imports to domestic sales through mobile phone digital forensics and bank account analyses.

The volume illegally imported and distributed by them over a period of about six months from December 2024 to May of last year reached approximately 4,300 kilograms, including fresh fruits such as guava, longan, and rambutan, as well as fruiting vegetables such as raw peppers.

In addition, the quarantine agency confirmed that B and C not only distributed the prohibited items domestically but also participated directly in importing them, forwarding their cases to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment.

A separate investigation is currently underway regarding the importer, A.

The quarantine agency plans to expand its investigation, suspecting that there may be further similar cases of illegal imports utilizing travelers.

Under the current Plant Protection Act, importing prohibited items or falsely reporting or failing to report plant quarantine items can result in up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won.

In particular, the amended Plant Protection Act will take effect on December 17 of this year.

Under the revised law, individuals involved in the transfer, distribution, transportation, or storage of illegally imported prohibited items will also become subject to punishment.

(Photo provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.