BOC seizes P31.5M of smuggled health products

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Monday said it confiscated a total of P31.5 million worth of counterfeit and unregistered health products in Manila.

In a statement, BOC said it seized, through its Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Intellectual Property Rights Division (CIIS-IPRD), smuggled health products with an estimated value of P31,500,000.00 in Sta. Cruz, Manila on April 19.

The Customs said its implementing team, composed of personnel from CIIS-IPRD, BOC-Port of Manila (POM), National Bureau of Investigation-National Capital Region (NBI-NCR), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) inspected the warehouses located at Ongpin and Fernandez Street.

The inspection was pursuant to a Letter of Authority (LOA) issued by BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero.

“Prior sealing the subject warehouses, BOC examiners, in the presence of CIIS and the AFP operatives, conducted an inventory of goods comprising of various items requiring registrations and clearances from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) such as medical and cosmetic products bearing the brands Lianhua Lung Cleansing Tea, Healthy Brain Pills, Gluta Lipo, Lidan Tablets, Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa, Vita herbs and other goods bearing Chinese brands,” the BOC said.

“The goods found in the warehouses at 1005 Ongpin street were valued to be at approximately P9,500,000.00, while the ones at 642 Fernandez street were valued to be around P22,000,000.00,” it added.

The concerned representatives of the respective warehouses were informed by the implementing team to provide importation documents and other pertinent permits covering all goods found thereat.

Further investigation is also underway for other possible violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act Republic Act (R.A. 10863), Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (R.A. 8293), and the Food and Drug Administration Act (R.A. 9711), the Customs said.

The BOC said it continues to enforce its stringent border security measures to ensure the safety of local consumers against smuggled counterfeit goods posing health hazards.—Mel Matthew Doctor/AOL, GMA News