Whitening creams recovered in raid

Operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) apprehended a 27-year-old suspected member of a swindling syndicate, after he was allegedly caught selling P46,000 worth of unregistered whitening creams in an entrapment operation in Mandaluyong City.

Regional Director Reynaldo Esmeralda, of the NBI-Special Task Force (STF), identified the suspect as Joseph Dulin, alias Jojo, a resident of Barangay Dolores, Taytay, Rizal.

However, two of his alleged accomplices — Anacleto Ligaya Jr., who uses the aliases John and Mitch, and a certain Alice — remain at large.

Evelyn Reyes went to the investigating unit and lodged a complaint against Ligaya who was reportedly engaged in the selling of Ishi-Kangen C whitening capsules.

For their modus operandi, the syndicate reportedly post an advertisement at Buy and Sell magazine to inform the public about their product and that interested parties can contact them through John at 679-6464 and 0921-4201150 and Mitch at 396-3520 and 0921-6931657.

Before setting up a trap, Esmeralda first purchased the creams to determine its authenticity. They placed an order for the capsules and had it delivered to a house in Sampaloc, Manila. They then brought the sample items to the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) for verification and laboratory tests.

In the certification issued by BFAD on Aug. 24, the NBI learned that "Ishi-Kangen C is not registered with their office."

The tests conducted by the BFAD also showed that while the drug may be fake, it does not have any side effect.

"But neither will it lighten your complexion because it is mostly made of cornstarch," an NBI agent added. This prompted the NBI-STF to arrange an entrapment operation last Sept. 12 and in the process accosted Dulin when he allegedly delivered the order.