BOC seizes P30 million worth of counterfeits of paracetamol brands, other medicines

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Tuesday said it has seized P30 million worth of counterfeits of popular medicine brands.

In a statement, the BOC said that working with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), the Intelligence Service Armed Forces Of the Philippines (ISAFP), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), it seized the fake items—bearing the names of brands Biogesic, Neozep, Bioflu, Immunpro, Ivermectin, Phenokinon F Injection, Medicol, Planax, Alaxan FR, MX3 and others—on January 5, 2022 .

Customs said that certification from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Unilab Pharmaceuticals, the makers of market-leading paracetamol brand Biogesic, stated that the said medicines were counterfeit. 

The counterfeit medicines were packed in cartons with tags of Chinese characters, it said.

The BOC said the counterfeit items were found in two storage spaces at 7434B and 7434C Highland St., Marcelo Green Village and 27 Pearl St., Severina Subdivision, Km 18, Brgy. Marcelo, both in Paranaque City.

The team, composed of members of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service at the Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP), the PDEA-IIS, NICA, ISAFP and the PCG, nabbed the suspect, 32-year-old Pakistani Adel Rajput, a resident of  Caloocan City.

The suspect was brought to the Paranaque City Prosecutors' Office for an inquest and will face various cases for violation of Sec. 1401 (Unlawful Importation/Exportation), Sec. 1113 (Property Subject to Seizure and Forfeiture) paragraph (l) (5) in relation to Sec. 118 (Prohibited Importation and Exportation) paragraph (e) of the CMTA, and the violation of Republic Act No. 8293 (Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines and its Pertinent Rules and Regulations), it added.

The suspect’s visa will undergo a revocation process at the Bureau of Immigration.

“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,” said Raniel Ramiro, Customs Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence Group.

The goods were immediately hauled to the BOC premises, though the inspection and inventory are still ongoing, the Customs said.

Last November 24, the BOC said it also nabbed P50 million worth of fake medicines bearing the names of popular brands such as Alaxan, Tuseran Forte, Propan, and Diatabs from a warehouse in Pasig City.

Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero lamented how these businesses are operating during this time.

“It is sad how these criminals are using the pandemic for their own gain, especially when it comes to medicines. These are medicines that people thought will relieve them of their pain, their conditions. It is unforgivable that these individuals are using people’s desperation to earn money,” Guerrero said.

Netizens have raised concerns on social media about their difficulties in purchasing paracetamol brands and anti-flu pills amid the COVID-19 surge.

The Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) has said that a temporary shortage of certain paracetamol brands was being experienced in some areas. 

The Department of Trade and Industry said last week that the supply of paracetamol and other medicines would normalize over the weekend.

Local pharmaceutical giant Unilab Inc. apologized to its customers over the temporary shortage of some medicine brands in selected drugstores due to "extraordinary [high] demand." — BM, GMA News