ILLEGAL TRADE OF BOGUS MEDICINAL HERBS RAISES SAFETY CONCERNS

Revelations of a rampant trade in bogus antlers and herbicide-tainted
medicinal herbs has sent a shock wave through the medicinal business
as Oriental doctors and pharmaceutical firms were found to have used
unfit materials imported from Russia and China.

Six traders of medicinal herbs were arrested yesterday for supplying
fake antlers and selling herbs contaminated with harmful pesticides.

The Seoul District Prosecutor's Office said one of the arrested,
identified as Kim Tong-yang, 39, was accused of selling the bogus
antlers worth 180 million won, to Oriental medicine doctors.

Kim was found to have secured reindeer horns smuggled from Russia
since June 1999 and sold them as genuine deer antlers.

Investigators said that even doctors could hardly differentiate
between the two kinds at sight since the fakes were sliced.

They said Kim marketed the antlers at $100 per kilogram, one-third of
the regular price for deer antlers.

Prosecutors estimated that the bogus products accounted for 10 percent
of the nation's entire market for deer antlers.

Health experts and the public were shocked by the swindling case,
which posed a significant threat to public health.

The prosecutors also arrested Lim Sok-jun, 39, for importing and
distributing 100 million-won worth of pesticide-tainted herbs,
including 5 tons of apricot stones contaminated with benzene
hexachloride (BHC).

Four others were also arrested on charges of illegally profiteering
from fraudulently supplying illegal herb imports.

In addition, the prosecutor's office booked eight other traders
without detention on charges of violating the pharmaceutical law as
well as for fraud as they allegedly distributed unfit herbs.

Investigators identified one of the eight as Shin, 53, who is accused
of marketing 1.7 tons of unfit antlers worth 650 million won.

The office also placed three other traders on the wanted list for
their involvement in selling improper medical herbs.

One is the head of a trading firm, only identified as Park, 28, who is
suspected of supplying 24 tons of fungi products containing herbicides
above permissible levels to three pharmaceutical companies.

The fungi products are usually used as diuretics.

Prosecutors collected about 100 pharmaceutical products processed from
the fungi products and requested the Korea Food and Drug
Administration (KFDA) analyze them for harmful substances.

The prosecutors said the fungi products were found to contain the
pesticide ingredient BHC at a rate of 0.4 to 0.7 parts per million
(ppm). The allowable BHC amount is less than 0.2 ppm.

Investigators said that the illegal traders of improper medical herbs
have taken advantage of loose regulations on imports and
distribution.

Regulations stipulate that imported herbs should be subject to sample
testing for their efficacy before importers distribute them to the
local market.

However, the accused traders were found to have illegally released
herb imports without sample tests.

The suspects have also distributed imported herbs, which were not
quarantined.

Sources pointed out that 80 percent of cheap herbs imported from China
were feared to be substandard products, which could be illegally sold
in the local market.