Imported drugs sans papers seized by NBI

The National Bureau of Investigation has seized several bottles of unregistered imported drugs that could be harmful to human health from two different drugstores in Cebu City during a simultaneous raid Wednesday afternoon.

Armed with search warrants issued by Municipal Trial Court in Cities Executive Judge Oscar Andrino, the NBI operatives swooped down on CHL Health Shop and De Oro Therapeutic Center located inside the Colonnade Mall on Colon Street and SM City Cebu, respectively, for alleged violations of Republic Act 3720, otherwise known as the Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1963.

CHL Health Shop, owned by Christopher Rabor, was selling Shilintong capsules, a medicine for kidney diseases, which is not registered with the Bureau of Food and Drugs. De Oro Therapeutic Center, operated by Manuel Roa, is likewise selling the same product.

Seized from Roa’s drugstore were 11 bottles of Shilintong capsules each containing 100 pieces and nine bottles of Sumalin, also an unregistered drug. Three bottles of Shilintong were also seized from CHL Health Shop.

Special Investigator Arnel Pura said they received intelligence report of the alleged unregistered imported products sold by the two drugstores. A surveillance operation was immediately conducted followed by a test-buy.

Based on the samples bought by an NBI undercover agent, a certification was obtained from the BFAD that those drugs are not registered.

However, the owners of the drugstores were not present during the raid. — Fred P. Languido/LPM