By Calvin Cordova
CEBU CITY — Four persons were arrested for allegedly selling overpriced disinfectant alcohols.
Rio Espejon, 45, Abel Daan Lacida, 18, Queeny May Rosa de los Reyes, 20, and Janjan Alano, 23, were arrested in separate buy-bust operations conducted by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Central Visayas (CIDG7) last Tuesday afternoon.
Operatives of a special unit of CIDG 7 first arrested De Los Reyes and Paradero in Barangay Tulay, Minglanilla town, southern Cebu at 12: 30 p.m.
About two hours later, CIDG 7 operatives also arrested Lacida in the same barangay in Minglanilla.
At 5:45 p.m., Espejon was arrested by CIDG-Cebu City personnel in Barangay Lahug.
Police Maj. Alan Tolosa, deputy chief of CIDG 7, said the suspects are online sellers of alcohol and hand sanitizers.
“Based on the suggested retail price, a 1000ml bottle of alcohol is worth P142 but during our transaction, they sold each bottle for P220,” said Tolosa.
Several bottles of isopropyl alcohol and hand sanitizers worth at least P20,000 were seized from the suspects.
Tolosa said they sent samples to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to check if the seized alcohols were genuine and duly registered.
“For now, they can be charged for overpricing. Additional charges will be filed if we found that their products are not genuine and not registered with FDA,” said Tolosa.
Tolosa warned that they will continue to run after online sellers who are selling overpriced alcohol products.
“They should not take advantage of the situation. We are facing health crisis, they should help the government instead of becoming burdens,” said Tolosa.