Illegal imports of weight-loss drugs more than triple in H1

In the first half of 2025, an alarming surge in illegal imports of weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro from overseas was detected by customs authorities, as reported on Monday. A total of 4,155 cases involving the illicit import of these medications through direct overseas purchases and other illicit channels were uncovered, significantly surpassing the 1,189 cases recorded throughout the entire previous year. This data was compiled by the Korea Customs Service.

In stark contrast, only 391 cases of Wegovy and Mounjaro were legally cleared by customs during the first six months of 2025, compared to 191 cases throughout all of 2025. The majority of these illicit imports were traced through mail, as more individuals are increasingly purchasing the weight-loss drugs from overseas online platforms and having them delivered via international shipping.

The customs agency uncovered 3,489 instances of illegal mail shipments containing Wegovy and Mounjaro during the first half of 2025, more than tripling the 1,046 cases recorded for the entire year of 2025. Additionally, 656 cases involved the medications being carried by individual travelers.