4 arrested in Makati for sale of fake anti-cancer drugs — CIDG

Four individuals were arrested in Makati City for allegedly selling counterfeit anti-cancer medicines, the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) said.

According to a report by Luisito Santos on GMA Super Radyo DZBB, PNP-CIDG Director Police Major General Robert Rodriguez II said the suspects were apprehended after authorities caught them in the act of selling the fake medicines at a hotel in Makati.

The operation stemmed from a complaint filed by a Singapore-based pharmaceutical company, which reported that its anti-cancer products were being counterfeited in the Philippines and sold on the black market for as low as P7,500 per vial.

Authorities noted that the legitimate versions of the medicine are sold in major pharmacies for between P135,000 and P200,000 per vial.

Operatives seized four boxes of suspected counterfeit anti-cancer drugs during the operation, with an estimated value of nearly P102 million.

The suspects are currently in custody and are facing charges for violations of the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, the Special Law on Counterfeit Drugs, and the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009.—MCG, GMA News