By Anthony Giron Camp Gen. Pantaleon Garcia, Imus, Cavite — Fake medicines passing off as paracetamol and cold and cough tablets have found their way to Cavite province’s market. A former drug company employee confirmed this after he and two other suspected fake-drug dealers were arrested Wednesday by a team from the police and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in simultaneous operations in the cities of General Trias and Dasmariñas. Von Reineree Cruz Hernandez, 28, who used to work for Unilever, revealed to authorities he and five other dealers distributed the fake medicines to small stores in the province. Hernandez said that in Imus district, the province’s capital, he was able to distribute the counterfeit medicines to about 200 stores. Hernandez was arrested by Police Provincial Office Intelligence and Mobile Units and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Cavite officers after 10 large boxes containing assorted United Laboratories, Inc. (Unilab) medicines and three other boxes with other brands were seized during a search of a house on Tierra Solana Pontevedra Subdivision in Barangay Buenavista III, General Trias. The fake drugs were worth between P120,000 and P150,000, according to Hernandez himself. The operation was conducted after the team were granted two search warrants by Sta. Cruz (Laguna) Regional Trial Court Branch 27 Judge Cynthia R. Marino-Ricablanca. Arrested in another operation were Den Mar Genese Temporada, 27, a resident of Barangay Banaba, Silang, Cavite; and Darwin Cruz Purificacion, 28, of Barangay Salawag, Dasmariñas. Police said the arrest of Temporada and Purificacion were nabbed during after an entrapment set by police and Unilab representatives in Barangay Langka, Dasmariñas. Confiscated were five boxes of Alaxan FR capsule, five boxes of Biogesic tablets, five boxes of Bioflu tablets, five boxes of Medicol soft capsules, five boxes of Solmux capsules, nineteen (19) boxes of Neozep Forte tablets and five boxes of Diatabs capsules, with market value totaling P15,000. Hernandez, Temporada and Purificacion and the items were brought to this camp, where the suspects were also interrogated. Earlier this month, President Duterte ordered the arrest of individuals involved in making and distributing fake medicines. The President issued the order after the FDA warned about the proliferation of fake medicines in the country. Authorities said that distributors or sellers of fake medicines can be charged with economic sabotage considering the impact of the sale of counterfeit products on consumers and markets. They also said that aside from the health risks posed by fake medicines, they can affect the supply and demand of the commodity and affect the price stability. Cavite Gov. Jesus Crispin C. Remulla called for a thorough investigation of the fake medicine distribution in the province and the arrest of manufacturers and distributors linked to it.