MALASIQUI – The syndicate responsible for the distribution of fake medicines in the province was caught bringing in more fake assorted medicines.

This time, two of its couriers bearing two boxes of assorted fake medicines were intercepted and arrested Tuesday at a police checkpoint in barangay Cabatling here. Supt. Leopoldo Rivera, police chief here, said the suspects were aboard a motorized tricycle when apprehended by the police manning a checkpoint.

The suspects were identified as Jessie Quiroz, 53, driver of the tricycle, and Eduardo Apilado, both of San Fabian town, believed to be runners and or couriers of the syndicate engaged in manufacturing, mislabeling and distribution of fake medicines. Rivera said that his men spotted the two boxes inside the sidecar of the tricycle, which turned out to be containing assorted fake medicines consisting of bottled syrup, tablets, vials and others.

Dr. Reynaldo Jacinto, chief of the regulations and standard division of the Department of Health, confirmed that all these are fake medicines that were about to be consigned to different doctors in Pangasinan.

This latest interception reconfirmed Jacinto’s previous allegation that a number of the doctors in Pangasinan are in cahoots with the syndicate distributing fake medicines in Pangasinan and the Ilocos region.

According to the police, the suspects admitted that the assorted fake medicines were given to them by certain persons for to be distributed and sold to different drug stores in Pangasinan. Jacinto, however, doubted this claim since the two held a list of doctors in their possession for which the medicines were intended.

The two refused to name their cohorts during the tactical interrogation conducted by the police. Both are now facing a case for Violation of 372 (as amended by Executive Order 175) Chapter VI, Section 11, Paragraph j and k and violation of RA 8203, Section 4 Pa.b of the Bureau of Food and Drugs Act.

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