Around P40 million worth of unregistered medicines from China were seized by the National Bureau of Investigation during a raid at a warehouse in Malate, Manila on Friday.
The NBI said this is believed to be “Carrymycin” the same brand used by some coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients to cure the disease.
The NBI said the cargo was declared as “personal effects.”
The medicines were shipped along with personal protective equipment and masks, the NBI and the Bureau of Customs said.
The said drug from China is not registered with the Food and Drug Administration, they said.
Earlier this week, a Chinese-owned illegal establishment in Parañaque City was raided by city hall personnel resulting to the arrest of a 44-year-old woman who is practicing medical profession and reportedly treating COVID-19 patients.
Arrested was Yumei Liang, using a Filipina name Liza Wu, reportedly residing in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City. The incomplete details of her Philippine driver’s license are reportedly altered. Her Filipino utility boy identified as Hinya Rodriguez, who was at the building during the raid, was also apprehended by authorities. An unidentified relative of Yumei who is also present in the building reportedly escaped.
The suspect yielded several boxes of the drugs which were sold at P100,000 per box .Each box contains 400 packs of 24 capsules per pack.The packages of the medicine bear Chinese character markings and English markings “Linhua Qingwen Jiaonang,” “Shuang Huang Lian Kou Fu Ye” and compound amino acid injection manufactured by Kelum Pharmaceutical in China.The assorted items are located at the third floor of the rented building. Medical beds were also found at the fourth floor of the building. Lawyer Melanie Marquez-Malaya, chief of the BPLO, said that they found out that the medical clinic has operating in the city for two months only when the government imposed the Enhanced Community Quarantine in Luzon last March.
