Superintendent Jimmy Daza, deputy chief of the CIDG Anti-Transnational Crime Unit, shows one of the two truckloads of seized cooking oils and contaminated sugar. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines–A trading company owned by Chinese businessmen were found to have been distributing recycled cooking oils and contaminated sugars in the market, police said Friday.
Two truckloads of 3,000 adulterated sugar sacks and boxes of reused cooking oils worth an estimate of P9 million were seized by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on Thursday afternoon.
Superintendent Jimmy Daza, deputy chief of the CIDG Anti-Transnational Unit, presented to reporters in Camp Crame the trucks they seized from Authority Trading Corporation in its Valenzuela City warehouse.
With the agents of Food and Drug Administration, authorities found bottles of reused cooking oil and tainted sugars to be sold supposedly in markets and establishments in Olongapo city and other Northern Luzon provinces.
Also seized was a truck containing the packaging machine used in repacking the adulterated products.
Police served a search warrant to the owners and incorporators of the Authority Trading Corp. namely Stephen Chang, Jessica Sy, Grace Ajeta, Che Shao En, Co Yee Co, Angeli Roseta and a certain Rolan B.
The managers, however, were not present during the search operation in their office at Sahara Road, Planters Subdivision in Barangay Isla at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Daza said the company repacks and put labels on cooking oils collected from establishments and stores that no longer recycle their used frying oils.
These are labeled with the brand “Jumbo Saving Pure Cooking Oil.”
While they proceed with investigation, Daza said the FDA is also examining the hazardous contents of the cooking oil and sugar.
The police also rescued four minors from Leyte and Iloilo working as laborers for the underground company.
The children have been transferred to the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Daza said the Authority Trading Corp. will be charged with violations of Republic Act 8208 or Human Trafficking Law, R.A. 9231 or Child Labor Law, R.A. 10611 or Food Safety Act of 2013 and non-compliance of the Registration of Establishment law.
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