Caffeine drink smugglers caught

By Lee Kyung-min

Gangdong police in southeastern Seoul arrested a group of caffeine drink smugglers on Wednesday.

A Kang, 46, allegedly bought 10,000 cans of drinks from foreign website and sold them here online and in bars, according to the police.

The cheaper price of the beverage abroad motivated him.

Cocktails made with the beverage were great sell, he said during the investigation.

He knew the huge popularity of the drinks, and that they went with alcohol, according to the police report.

The owner of the bar which sold the cocktails is also facing charges.

The owner, a Jung, allegedly mixed the drinks and sold them knowing that they came here through illegal channels, according to the police report.

Their profit is deemed irresponsible since it might have caused health risks to the public, according to the police.

The caffeine drinks sold overseas are two or three times stronger than those sold here.

Casually selling the mix without proper warning or restriction can cause death in worst cases.

There have been 13 deaths caused by caffeine drinks in the U.S. last year, sobering up consumers worldwide.

An investigation is ongoing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Gangdong police said that they plan to expand the investigation of the similar crimes.