MANILA, Philippines — Sixty-five boxes of unauthorized COVID-19 test kits valued at P188,500 were confiscated from two people in Quezon City on Friday.
Agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested Jean Tagnipez, 60, and Pallmony Hope dela Cueva, 32, in an entrapment operation at Sunnyside Heights Subdivision in Barangay Batasan at around 7:40 p.m.
Col. Randy Glenn Silvio, CIDG National Capital Region field office chief, said the suspects are members of a criminal gang involved in the illegal sale of unregistered Clungene test kits online.
An informant told the CIDG that the suspects were selling test kits using a Facebook account.
Silvio said the suspects failed to show a license from the government authorizing them to sell COVID-19 test kits.
The suspects are being held on charges of violating Republic Act 9711 or the Food and Drug Administration Act and RA 10175, also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act.