P150M worth of fake COVID test kits, other medical products seized

FAKE antigen test kits for coronavirus, face masks, Chinese medicines, and other counterfeit goods worth P150 million were seized at a warehouse in Manila Friday, the Customs bureau reported. 

Among the confiscated products were “Clungene COVID-19 antigen test kits, counterfeit LianHua Chinese herbal medicines, and fake 3M N95 face masks,” the bureau said in a statement on Monday. 

The test kit brand is not among those approved by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A list of certified test kits may be found at https://www.fda.gov.ph/fda-advisory-no-2021-2094-list-of-covid-19-test-kits-with-fda-special-certification-and-performance-validation-conducted-and-or-recommended-by-the-research-institute-for-tropical-medicine-ritm/. 

Other goods found at the warehouse were “intellectual property rights-infringed goods such as apparel from brands like Nike, Fila, Converse, Adidas, as well as Louis Vuitton and Gucci bags, wallets, phone accessories, and others.”

The Bureau of Customs said the warehouse owner, a Chinese national, was arrested and will be facing charges for violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act as well as FDA rules. 

“Definitely the owner of the warehouse will face the brunt of the law. This is not the first time and not the last time we will see these groups operating on our shores,” Customs Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Raniel T. Ramiro said.

“Our job here is to make sure these don’t get into the local markets.”