Joint police and military operatives arrested a female foreigner and his Filipino companion for allegedly selling RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction) testing kits in Navotas City.
Maj. Gen. Vicente Danao, Jr., director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said the operation stemmed from a report about individuals selling RT-PCR testing kits which is prohibited as only authorized medical personnel are allowed to use them.
He identified those arrested as Liset Lo Kaw, 40; and, Christian Cruz, 23. They were collared at around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
"The report that there were persons selling these kits prompted the operating units to verify the authenticity of the report at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and found out that those individuals were not authorized by law to sell Rapid Test Kits online," said Danao.
The operation was then mapped out wherein a poseur-buyer ordered 109 boxes of Clungene Rapid Test Kit.
The suspects were arrested after receiving the P436,000 marked money. Also seized were 109 boxes of test kits which contains 50 pieces of test kits per boxes which were ordered by the poseur buyer and additional 154 boxes.
Both confiscated have a value of more than P1 million. The two were charged with violation of Republic Act 9711 or Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009 in relation to FDA Circular No. 2020-016 or the prohibition of Online selling of FDA Certified COVID-19 Antibody Test Kit.