P53 million fake medicines, goods seized

MANILA, Philippines — Counterfeit medicines and assorted illegal goods from China worth P53 million have been confiscated by the Bureau of Customs.

Over 336 cartons of fake Unilab pharmaceutical products and 500 cartons of electronic products, cosmetics, automotive parts, hardware and other items arrived on March 19 at the Manila International Container Port.

Consignee South LG Consumer Goods Trading is accused of smuggling.

About P50.563 million in dutiable value and P2.290 million in Customs duties would have been earned by the government if the shipment truly contained the items, Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said yesterday.

Unilab assistant vice president and head of public relations and partnerships Claire de Leon-Papa expressed her gratitude to Customs officials.

Papa advised the public to check the medicines’ packaging as well as its expiry date, consistency, color and taste.

Consumers should only buy medicines from reputable and registered pharmacies, she said.

Food and Drug Administration deputy director general Franklin Anthony Tabaquin IV said the public can refer to the verification portal on the FDA website for information about medicines.