The boxes and packages were written in Korean, so it was all a matter of faith. Spanish researchers have detected that someone hit the botulinum toxin vials – known by the trade name of Botox – built in the Asian country. They were not “false” products, but it was illegal: their use has not been approved in Spain, as no European Union checks have passed.
Overcoming the thread, the officers soon realized that they had a “matryoshka” in front of them, as one branch led to the next and the next to another. They put it on Kalopsia, a Greek word that means seeing beauty where there is no, or believing that something is more beautiful than it really is.
The Guardia Civil (UCO) Central Operational Unit and the Spanish National Tax Service (AEAT) fell deeper into the Botox Customer Network and identified the owners and employees of the aesthetic centers who allegedly used these products. There are 41 people in survey, including two doctors, and the owner of the Marbella aesthetic clinic for which they worked, who was arrested and her facilities were closed.
The researchers were able to distinguish between two types of centers: those who are authorized to perform “skin internal treatments”, which are aesthetic clinics with specialized doctors. And those who can only perform “skin activities”, such as aesthetics centers, hairdressers or illegal installations, where you could make your nails or, on the advertisement, to enter botox on your lips.
At Marbella Clinic and many others explored, the treatments were conducted with Botox legally acquired in pharmacies under the prescription of the two doctors, but the Korean Botox was also used to reduce the average price of the product and increase the profitability of the business. , according to research sources.
During the inspection of this clinical aesthetic medicine, located in the center of Marbella, the researchers found about 1,500 updated cohabitation signed by so many clients, giving an idea of business volume. Depending on the clinic, treatment with the official product could cost between 300 and 400 euros, while half of the price could be half of the price or less.
Officers also inspected another aesthetic medicine clinic in the province of Malaga – although no arrests were made and the establishment was not closed – and four illegal centers of aesthetics or hairdressing where the treatments with Korean Botox were held. One of these sites was also sealed and closed by Guardia Civil and Aeat officials.
Alicante, Madrid, Cadiz, Murcia, Cordoba and Seville
Kalopsia expanded to Alicante, Madrid, Cadiz, Murcia, Cordoba and Seville, where 18 other stores were inspected. Sources near the case showed that in these provinces two other doctors and at least seven nurses are being investigated to infuse Botox to their customers.
In these actions, 700 botox vials (used to reduce wrinkles on the skin), 275 hyaluronidase vials (used to neutralize the negative effects of certain treatments), more than 200 lidocaine (local anesthetic) containers From a thousand prepared hyaluronic acid syringes (also used to eliminate wrinkles), Tensor threads and specific machinery, such as centrifugal centers for plasma -rich plasma (also used to eliminate wrinkles) as well as wrinkles). Full of hyaluronic acid syringes (also for the elimination of wrinkles), Tensor threads and specific machines, such as centrifuges to carry out platelet-rich plasma therapies (used for delaying skin aging).
Depending on their degree of participation in the program, the people investigated have been accused of alleged criminal offenses against public health, fraud, professional invasion and participation in a criminal organization. Agents believe that fraud was proved by the administration of an illegal product in Spain with features and a brochure incomprehensible to the overwhelming majority of customers, who apparently ignored this occasion in order to increase the profitability of treatment.
The researchers also arrested a man in Marbella, whose role allegedly focused on the introduction and distribution of vials, which entered the port and Airport of Seville Thermal conditions required for these products.
According to surveys, the organization’s company was to offer these vials to its “relative” clinics at competitive prices, especially through social media networks, where monitoring these illegal services is much more difficult for the authorities. A network of money laundering has also been revealed through current accounts that channel cash from therapies through Latvia or Bulgaria.
