Worth P30-M Fake Paracetamol Brands and Other Medicines Recovered by Customs
COUNTERFEIT MEDICINES – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) recovered P30 million worth of fake Paracetamol brands and other medicines.
BOC together with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), Intelligence Service Armed Forces Of the Philippines (ISAFP), and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) launched the operation to confiscate fake drugs.
The group raided two storage spaces at 7434B and 7434C Highland St., Marcelo Green Village and 27 Pearl St., Severina Subdivision, Km 18, Brgy. Marcelo in Parañaque City. The authorities found the drugs inside boxes with Chinese characters.
Customs Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence Group Raniel Ramiro said that the operation has been launched after receiving reports about the fake goods, which can pose risk to the public’s health.
The authorities seized counterfeit medicine brands including Biogesic, Neozep, Bioflu, Immunpro, Ivermectin, Phenokinon F Injection, Medicol, Planax, Alaxan FR, MX3 and others. The boxes were turned over to BOC premises.
The combined forces of the authorities arrested the 32-year-old identified as Pakistani Adel Rajput who is a residents of Caloocan City. He was brought to the Paranaque City Prosecutors’ Office.
Read Also: DTI Reveals Truth Behind Tight Supply of Paracetamol Brands
Rajput will face multiple charges for violation of Sec. 1401 (Unlawful Importation/Exportation), Sec. 1113 (Property Subject to Seizure and Forfeiture) paragraph (l) (5) and the violation of Republic Act No. 8293 (Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines and its Pertinent Rules and Regulations).
“We received reports about the presence of counterfeit items. It’s not just items, but medicines. We acted on this immediately because this can pose a health threat. They are selling these to unsuspecting people whose only hope is to buy authentic medicines for themselves and their loved ones,” Ramiro said.
The counterfeit medicines started to circulate in local markets nationwide due to the tight supply of Paracetamol brands. Local pharmaceutical giant Unilab Inc. have issued an apology over the shortage of some medicine brands.
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