NBI, anti-piracy team seize fake drugs from 4 drugstores

The National Bureau of Investigation seized fake antibiotics and heart medicine from four different drug stores in the cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu.

NBI operatives in Central Visayas together with a team from the Intellectual Property Rights Division in Manila conducted four simultaneous raids over the weekend against the drug stores which were earlier found to be selling counterfeit drugs.

Subjects of the of the search warrants issued by Regional Trial Court judge Ramon Daomilas, Jr. are JJ and G Pharmacy in barangay Pahina Central, Tisa Drug Pharmacy, Pharmacia Jane in Garfield Street and Lapu-Lapu Pharmacy in Rizal Street Lapu-Lapu City.

Seized from the Lapu-Lapu Pharmacy were 160 tablets of counterfeit Imdur, 30mg; an empty Imdur display box and three pieces of yellow cash slips.

The raid at Tisa Drug yielded 30 vials of fake Meronem, 500 mg; 44 vials of Meronem 1g; 121 tablets of Imdur; 360 tablets of Plendil 10mg; 751 tablets of Plendil 2.5mg; 552 tablets of Plendil 5mg; 91 tablets of Nexium 20 mg; and 72 tablets of Bricanyl 2.5mg.

The team that searched JJ and G Pharmacy seized eight bottles of Meronem 1g; 16 tablets of Imdur, 30 mg; and nine tablets Imdur 60mg.

The raiding team which went to Farmacia Jane, however, did not find counterfeit drugs but found a  sales invoice booklet, which shows that the pharmacy sold the suspected fake drugs.

NBI agent Reynaldo Villordon said that Meronem is an antibiotic which costs P2,800 per vial. Imdur, meanwhile, is a medicine for heart ailment.

Villordon said they could not yet determine the value of the seized counterfeit drugs but said that charges for selling counterfeit drugs will be filed against the owners of the drug stores. - Fred P. Languido/QSB