Authorities confiscated 15 kilos of assorted medicines from an American passenger at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Customs airport collector Carmelita Talusan said her men at the NAIA Terminal 3 confiscated the assorted antibiotics after its carrier, whose name was withheld, failed to show necessary permits from the Food and Drug Administration.
“Through the joint efforts of our front liners and operatives, the baggage of an American passenger from Vietnam flight was intercepted, yielding medicines with no health clearance,” she said.
Early this month, Customs men also foiled an attempt of two Chinese nationals to smuggle assorted medicines at the airport.
The foreigners, Zhang Xin and Huang Wen Cong, concealed the assorted Chinese pharmaceutical products weighing eight kilograms in plastic bags and brought the items without the necessary permits from FDA.
Customs personnel assigned at the NAIA Terminal 2 International Arrival area noticed the images of medicines when they placed the foreigners’ luggages on X-ray scanning machine.
Talusan warned air travelers that importation and exportation of pharmaceutical products without FDA clearance is a violation of Republic Act 9711 or the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009 in relation to provisions of RA 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
“Port of NAIA with our vigilant frontliners and X-ray machines in place will continue to protect the borders against entry and exit of prohibited goods and regulated goods without necessary permits,” she said.