$580,000 Worth Of Fake Medicine Seized In Philippines As Omicron Cases Surge

Nearly $600,000 worth of fake medicines were seized in the Philippines last week, local authorities announced Tuesday.

The country's Bureau of Customs (BOC), along with several other government agencies, seized 30 million pesos (around $585,000) worth of counterfeit medicines at two different storage units in the city of Parañaque on Jan. 5 amid a shortage of over-the-counter drugs, the BOC said in a statement.

The seized drugs were packed in cartons with tags that had Chinese characters, according to the BOC.

Among them were counterfeit versions of branded medicines Alaxan FR, Bioflu, Biogesic, Medicol, Neozep and Planax. Also included were fakes of the antiparasitic medication Ivermectin and Phenokinon-F Injection, as well as the supplements Immunpro and MX3.

Authorities took action upon receiving reports of fake medicines and other counterfeit items as they "can pose a health threat," the BOC said.

"They are selling these to unsuspecting people whose only hope is to buy authentic medicines for themselves and their loved ones," Raniel Ramiro, deputy commissioner of the BOC's Intelligence Group, was quoted as saying.

A 31-year-old Pakistani national, identified as Caloocan City resident Adel Rajput, was arrested in connection to the seized counterfeit drugs. He was then brought to the Parañaque City Prosecutors' Office for an inquest.

"[Rajput] 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)," the BOC said.

Additionally, his visa will undergo a revocation process, according to the agency.

The seized items have been taken to the premises of the BOC, but they are still being inspected and inventoried.

Aside from the BOC, the other local agencies involved in last week's operation were the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Intelligence Service Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard.

There is a shortage of basic over-the-counter medicines in the Philippines' National Capital Region as well as its neighboring provinces due to the surge in COVID-19 cases and the flu season, according to BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero.

Rather than a shortage, there were instead "stockouts" in the country's pharmacies after the recent holidays due to increased demand for medicine, Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said last week.

Local pharmaceutical firms have sufficient "production capacity" to supply Filipinos' demands for paracetamol and other over-the-counter drugs, Lopez said. He also urged the public not to panic buy.

The Philippines has reported a total of 3,026,473 COVID-19 cases and 52,511 virus-related deaths as of Tuesday, according to data provided by Johns Hopkins University.

The country reported new record highs for COVID-19 cases in three consecutive days as the virus' "highly transmissible" omicron variant continued to drive a surge in infections.

The country’s health authorities reported 33,169 confirmed COVID-19 infections Monday after logging 28,707 new cases Sunday.