The National Bureau of Investigation-National Capital Region (NBI-NCR), Bureau of Customs, and Philippine Coast Guard joined forces and raided a warehouse in Barangay Don Galo, Parañaque City, where boxes of suspected smuggled face shields were found.
At around 5 pm Thursday, authorities raided the said warehouse after the NBI received a complaint that there were suspected fake and smuggled face shields.
When operatives arrived, they saw several face shield boxes in the back part of the warehouse compound.
According to BOC Intelligence Officer Alvin Enciso, China’s face shields are estimated at P70 million. The products allegedly did not pass inspection and may not be registered with the Food and Drug Administration.
Jimmy De Leon of NBI-NCR said the face shields in the warehouse could be fake, so they could not be used effectively. It could be even more harmful to the person instead of protecting the user.
“It is dangerous to the public na gumamit sila ng fake. In the first place hindi sya dumaan sa proper authorities like the FDA so we cannot assure yung efficacy and security purpose by which na ginagamit talaga ang face shield,” he said.
Because the complained face shields have other products included in the warehouse, only a cordon and seal of the area will be placed to ensure that it cannot be removed.
Warehouse of smuggled face shields raided by NBI, Customs
Heng De’s trademark holder is also scheduled to inspect the products on Friday. After the inspection, they will be destroyed.
Meanwhile, two tons of surgical gloves were seized in an apartment in Tanza, Cavite, on Tuesday.
According to the neighbors, the police, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO), and Rural Health Unit raided an apartment in a subdivision in Barangay Tres Cruses.
Used surgical gloves are in 4 apartment units. Other surgical gloves contain blood and medicine.
Two were arrested in the incident. According to one of the suspects, he did not know where the surgical gloves came from.
According to Menandro Dimaranan of Tanza MENRO, this is alarming, especially with the pandemic.
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