NBI seizes unregistered slimming pills, coffee from 2 Cebu drugstores

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Thursday conducted simultaneous raids on two Chinese stores in downtown Cebu City that were allegedly selling unregistered slimming pills and coffee believed to contain harmful ingredients.

The NBI seized 100 small boxes of Hokkaido Slimming Pills, 20 boxes of Pearl White Slimming Capsule, three boxes of Perfect Figure Slimming Capsule, five boxes of Slimming Beauty Capsule and 51 boxes each of Leisure 18 and Slimming Coffee from Yu Lian Merchandising Store on Manalili Street corner Legaspi Street.

Seized from Beauty Shape Cosmetics along Sanciangko Street were 11 boxes of Hokkaido Slimming Pills and other banned slimming products.

The NBI did not say the total worth of the seized products in the market but a box of Hokkaido Slimming Pills can be bought at P175 each.

These items will be subjected to laboratory examination.

“The slimming products that were confiscated by our agents are banned by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). These pills reportedly have side effects which can even lead to death,” said Max Salvador, NBI director for Central Visayas.

These unregistered slimming pills contain harmful ingredients such as ampethamine and sibutramine which cause cerebral hemorrhage, irregular heartbeat, comma, pulmonary hypertension, stroke, heart attack, extreme fever, tremor, rapid muscle breakdown, psychosis, and even death.

Salvador said charges for violating Republic Act 3720 or the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act will be filed against those responsible for selling unregistered slimming pills.

Officers of the FDA, an office under the Department of Health, earlier sought the assistance of the NBI to seize unregistered slimming pills in downtown Cebu City.

The NBI, led by Agent Donaver Inesin, conducted surveillance operations, including test-buys, for about a month.

After they confirmed that unregistered slimming products were indeed sold in the two stores, the NBI conducted simultaneous operations past 9 a.m. on Thursday by virtue of the search warrant issued by Judge Gilbert Moises of the Regional Trial Court Branch 18 in Cebu City.

The operations were finished by about 1 p.m.

The NBI padlocked Yu Lian Merchandising and Beauty Shape Cosmetics but Salvador said it would be up to the DOH to stop the operations of these stores.

Officers and employees of the store were brought to the NBI office at the Capitol Site for questioning. They refused to give any statement to the media.