Last year, the New Taipei City Specialized Operation Brigade received a tip-off regarding multiple illegal migrant workers frequently visiting a residential area in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City. After several on-site investigations, immigration officers discovered that all the foreign visitors were received by the same woman. The officers immediately formed a special task force to investigate further, uncovering a shocking hidden case.
The woman in question, identified as Ms. Kang, a Filipino-Chinese settled in Taiwan, had identified the lucrative potential of the underground aesthetic medicine market. Since 2023, she had been operating an unlicensed aesthetic medicine studio, performing procedures such as thread rhinoplasty, Botox wrinkle treatments, and fat-dissolving injections. As her reputation grew, Ms. Kang expanded her business to include high-risk PRP (Platelet-rich plasma) injection rejuvenation treatments, drawing blood from clients for the procedure.
Ms. Kang's aesthetic medicine studio was fully equipped with medical devices and drugs, all of which were unidentified products purchased online. (Photo / Screenshot from the National Immigration Agency website)
Under the direction of the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office, immigration officers went undercover as customers to infiltrate the hidden studio and gather evidence. When the time was right, in May 2024, the Specialized Operation Brigade, alongside the New Taipei City Health Bureau and Xinzhuang Police Precinct, raided Ms. Kang’s two concealed studios in Taipei and New Taipei City.
During the raid, Ms. Kang was arrested, and numerous illegal medical supplies, including hyaluronic acid, Botox, glutathione, blood centrifuges, and needles, were seized. Investigators were horrified to find used, blood-stained needles casually discarded in empty plastic bottles. A shocked officer described the scene as “terrifying!” After the investigation concluded, Ms. Kang was charged with violating the Physicians Act and referred to the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office. In December 2024, the New Taipei District Court sentenced her to six months in prison, suspended for three years.
Cheap Medical Supplies Ordered Online at One-Tenth Market Price to Target the Underground Aesthetic Medicine Market
Ms. Kang’s studio was fully equipped with a variety of surgical needles, aesthetic medicine devices, beauty infusions, anti-inflammatory drugs, and antibiotics. Investigations revealed that these questionable medical supplies were purchased at low prices from well-known online shopping platforms. By minimizing costs, Ms. Kang aggressively undercut competitors by offering invasive aesthetic services at incredibly low prices. The PRP injection rejuvenation treatment, which typically costs over NT$10,000 per session, was offered by Ms. Kang for just NT$1,500.
Social Media Promotion and Dubious Demonstrations
Ms. Kang heavily promoted her services online at a fraction of the usual market price. She utilized platforms like Facebook and TikTok to livestream her procedures and even used her own husband as a model, sharing before-and-after comparison photos to attract customers. Her low-cost services gained popularity among foreign customers seeking affordable beauty treatments, filling her appointment slots and generating a monthly income of at least NT$70,000 during her operating period.
Ms. Kang promoted and marketed PRP injection rejuvenation treatments online at an extremely low price, only one-tenth of the market rate. (Photo / Screenshot from the National Immigration Agency website)
Warning Against Illegal Aesthetic Medicine Practices
Huang Yi-Gang, Captain of the New Taipei City Specialized Operation Brigade, strongly advised the public and migrant workers to exercise caution when choosing aesthetic clinics. He urged individuals to “stop, look, and listen” before proceeding with treatments — choosing only licensed medical institutions and qualified medical professionals to avoid falling victim to illegal aesthetic advertisements. Seeking low-cost treatments can result in serious health risks, turning beauty aspirations into dangerous outcomes.
