CLARK FREEPORT—Several boxes of assorted medicines and medical supplies bearing Chinese markings were seized by authorities at a warehouse inside the PhilExcel Business Park here last Thursday.
The raid was an offshoot of an earlier raid conducted by authorities at No. 628 Florida Street, Fontana Leisure Parks (FLP) where a makeshift hospital was established as well as a pharmacy without any clearance, or permit, from the Department of Health (DOH), or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
As a result, the 300-hectare FLP was closed and placed under full lockdown.
In the PhilExcel raid, the contraband was taken to the FDA office in Manila for safekeeping and assessment.
The raiding team was composed of representatives from the FDA, officials of the health department of the Clark Development Corp. (CDC), the police and CDC security guards.
Police Colonel Amante Daro, chief of the 3rd Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit stationed at Camp Olivas, said the raiding team served a search warrant at Unit 17-C of the PhilExcel Business Park.
Daro said further investigation is in progress to identify the lessees of the warehouse.
“Once we identify them, we’re going to file a criminal case against them,” Daro said.
In the Fontana raid, two Chinese nationals identified as Ling Hu, 45, and Seung-Hyun Lee, 38, were arrested and taken to Police Regional Office 3 in Camp Olivas, City of San Fernando.
Police said they would face charges for violation of RA 9711 or the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009 and violation of RA 2382 or the Medical Act of 1958 for operating a hospital without any permit.
Two tons of seized medicines and meat products, meanwhile were rendered useless at a thermal decomposer facility at Trece Martires, Cavite on Thursday.
The shipments that were destroyed also included some 350 kilograms of unregistered medicines that were previously seized because of the absence of clearance from the FDA “and thus unsafe for human consumption,” according to airport district collector Carmelita Talusan.
“The condemnation of unregistered medicines is part of Bureau of Customs border protection to shield the public against unsafe medicines,” she said.
Along with the medicines were expired foodstuff and meat products without health clearance.
Talusan said the impounded goods were condemned using the thermal decomposer (Pyrolysis) facility of the Integrated Waste Management Inc. located in Trece Martires City. With Recto Mercene
Image credits: CIDG Regional Field Units 3 via AP
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