2 foreigners nabbed for unregistered medicines in Pampanga

Distor said the suspects were arrested by the NBI-Central Luzon Regional Office (CELRO) in Mabalacat City, Pampanga on October 7, by virtue of a search warrant issued by the Capas, Tarlac Regional Trial Court Branch 66.(Pixabay photo)

MANILA – Two foreigners were arrested in a recent operation for possession of unregistered Chinese medicines and other health products, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) reported on Thursday.

In a media statement, NBI officer-in-charge Eric Distor identified the suspects as Bing Liu, a female Chinese national, and Jhon Michael, a male Indonesian national.

Distor said the suspects were arrested by the NBI-Central Luzon Regional Office (CELRO) in Mabalacat City, Pampanga on October 7, by virtue of a search warrant issued by the Capas, Tarlac Regional Trial Court Branch 66.

The operation was conducted by CELRO operatives together with representatives from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Task Force Aguila of the Clark Development Corporation (CDC), and a representative of the local court.

Before the operation, CELRO personnel acted on a report from CDC Task Force Aguila and conducted surveillance operations for alleged violations of RA 3720 (Food and Drug Cosmetics Act) as amended by RA 9711 (Food and Drug Administration Act) being committed by a group of Chinese nationals headed by a certain Luk Foo.

The group is based in a condominium located at the Clark Free Port Zone.

The items seized from the suspects have undergone an inventory and representative samples collected by the FDA for product examination and verification.

The two were presented before the Office of the City Prosecutor in Mabalacat City for inquest proceedings.