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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Magical trip to prison': Two female traders nabbed for selling fake 'Magic Sarap'

'Magical trip to prison': Two female traders nabbed for selling fake 'Magic Sarap'

Published Jun 13, 2026 11:21 am
The magical flow of income from the sale of fake food seasoning ended for two female businesswomen in Pagadian City and Pampanga after they were arrested in two separate operations of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
CIDG director Robert AA Morico II said it was a Chinese trader who was first arrested during a buy-bust for the sale of Magic Sarap, a popular brand of food seasoning, in Barangay Bulatok, Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur.
The female Chinese, a native of Fujian in China, yielded 728 boxes of the food seasoning and Morico said the confiscated items are worth around P3.5 million.
A follow-up operation conducted in Barangay Siran, Guagua, Pampanga on June 10 also resulted in the arrest of a Filipino businesswoman and the confiscation of 87 boxes of the same product worth P374,000.
Morico said the operation stemmed from the assistance requested by Nestlé Philippines, Inc. on the manufacturing and sale of its popular food seasoning product.
“The counterfeited and seasoning and consumer products pose severe and immediate health risks to the buying public because it entirely bypasses the strict quality control, safety inspections, and government regulations established by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Philippines,” said Morico.
The CIDG then urged the public to exercise extreme caution and vigilance when purchasing food seasonings.
“Counterfeit products look nearly identical to genuine brands on the outside, but contain hazardous, unverified ingredients on the inside,” said Morico.
He said the two arrested suspects face a case of violation of Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.

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CIDG intellectual property (IP)
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