2 Chinese men freed; store owners face raps

THE National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) released the two Chinese nationals who were brought to the agency’s office following a raid on two stores selling banned weight loss pills in downtown Cebu City last Thursday.

NBI-7 Supervising Agent Reynaldo Villordon said they could not hold Jui Fue Ke and Ying Chun Ke as well as other employees of the stores . The two Chinese men are still under investigation.
Villordon said the NBI will file charges this week against Rinir Luchavez and Maricar Panerio, the registered owners of Yu Lian Merchandising and Beauty Shape Cosmetics, respectively.

The owners will face charges of violating Republic Act 3720 or the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act for selling weight-loss products, including pills, that were banned or not registered.

Sliimming pills and coffee whose ingredients pose serious health risks to users.

At least five products banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were e sold in the two stores.

Officers of the FDA, an office under the Department of Health, earlier sought the assistance of the NBI-7 to crack down on the vendors.

Seized from Yu Lian Merchandising Store located in Manalili corner Legaspi streets were 100 small boxes of Hokkaido Slimming Pills, Pearl White Slimming Capsule (20 boxes), Perfect Figure Slimming Capsule (3 boxes), Leisure 18 and Slimming Coffee (51 boxes); Slimming Beauty Capsule (5 boxes).

The NBI-7 also confiscated 11 boxes of Hokkaido Slimming Pills and other banned slimming products from Beauty Shape Cosmetics located along Sanciangko Street.