BACOLOD CITY, Philippines?Complaints against foul odor led police to seize several sacks of used clothes for sale in ukay-ukay stores in this city.

Members of the Bacolod City Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) seized the ukay-ukay goods in the house of Luisa Dizon in Barangay 35 past 4 a.m. on Tuesday.

Insp. Benjamin Topacio, CIDG Bacolod chief, said police have been receiving complaints since May from Dizon?s neighbors against foul odor coming from used garments in Dizon?s house.

Police used a warrant issued by Judge Napoleon Diamante, of the Municipal Trial Courts in Cities, to seize the goods.

Topacio said Dizon faces charges of violating a law, Republic Act No. 4653, that prohibits the commercial importation of textile or used clothing and rags.

Dizon ignored the law and her business became a health hazard to her neighbors, said Topacio.

He said the used clothes were supposedly donations from foreign nongovernment organizations for distribution to indigents in the Philippines.

But Topacio said ?Dizon is neither a registered nor a licensed social welfare agency or individual and her act is purely for profit and not for charitable purposes.?

He said a check made by police at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) showed Dizon?s used clothing business was not registered.

A person with the same name has a DTI registered business not for used clothes, but new ones.