P150 million worth of fake COVID-19 test kits, meds seized; warehouse owner arrested

The Bureau of Customs on Monday said it seized P150 million worth of fake COVID-19 test kits, medicines, face masks, and branded items in a warehouse in Manila on Friday.

In a statement, the BOC said authorities raided a storage facility on Carlos Palanca in San Miguel district.

The warehouse was storing thousands of fake Clungene COVID-19 antigen test kits, LianHua Chinese herbal medicines, and 3M N95 face masks, the BOC said.

According to the BOC, authorities also found intellectual property rights–infringed products from Nike, Fila, Converse, Adidas, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci.

The owner of the warehouse, identified only as a Chinese national, was arrested for allegedly violating the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act as well as the Food and Drug Administration rules and regulations, the BOC said.

“Definitely the owner of the warehouse will face the brunt of the law. This is not the first time and not the last time we will see these groups operating on our shores,” Customs Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Raniel Ramiro  said.

“Our job here is to make sure these don’t get into the local markets, and to stop any future attempts at selling counterfeit goods to our kababayans,” he added.

The warehouse was padlocked and sealed to secure the imported products until Customs completes its inventory. — Joviland Rita/BM, GMA News