NBI raids ‘supermarket’ in Mandaue: Chinese nabbed, pharmaceutical products worth P300,000 seized

These are part of the P300,000 worth of pharmaceutical products confiscated by the NBI during the Laoxiang Supermarket raid in Mandaue City on March 22. | Contributed photo

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — A Chinese national allegedly selling, trading and dispensing unregistered medical products in a supermarket on A.S. Fortuna Street, in Barangay Bakilid, Mandaue City, was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation-Cebu District Office (NBI CEBDO).

NBI operatives identified the suspect as Hu Xiang, also known as “Chang,” a native of Fujian, Province of China.

NBI-CEBDO Agent-in-Charge Arnel Pura in a press conference on Wednesday, March 29 said that the Chinese was arrested in a buy-bust operation conducted on March 22.

However, Pura said that according to their surveillance of the supermarket, Chang was a new employee and he was only working at the store for just 10 days before the buy-bust operation was conducted.

He said that they continue to conduct a followup operation to identify the owner of the Laoxiang Supermarket.

NBI: Store has no license

Pura said that Laoxiang Supermarket did not have a license to operate or pending application from the Food and Drugs Administration.

It is also not registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the city government’s business licensing office.

During the operation, Chang was also not able to present his passport or any legal document that could support the validity of his stay in the country.

Volumes of pharmaceutical products worth P300,000 were confiscated with the assistance of the FDA Regional Enforcement Unit.

Confiscated products were subjected to proper examination and disposition at the FDA-7 Cebu City field office, and the result would be used as additional pieces of evidence against the suspect.

Pura said that these products were likely directly imported from China. 

Violations

He also said that the supermarket mostly catered to Chinese nationals in Mandaue City.

Chang was facing charges for violations of Republic Act (RA) 9711 or the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009 before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Mandaue and RA 10918, otherwise known as the Philippine Pharmacy Act at the Municipal Trial Court Mandaue.

However, Pura said Chang was temporarily released on Tuesday, March 28, after posting bail of P96,000.

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