4 foreigners held over P1.4-M smuggled coffee in Pampanga
THREE Chinese nationals and one Indonesian were arrested by agents of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on Tuesday in connection with the seizure of some P1.4 million worth of smuggled coffee products in San Simon, Pampanga.
PNP-CIDG director Major General Romeo M. Caramat Jr. said two of the Chinese nationals identified as Geen Chen,33; and Huang Sheng,39; and Indonesian national Dedy Candra,34, were placed under arrest while conspiring to sell unregistered ‘Defu Coffee’ to an undercover officer in Global Aseana Park 1 in De la Paz, San Simon municipality on Monday afternoon, said the official.
The third Chinese, identified as Chen Linren, was arrested after he tried to prevent the CIDG team from arresting the three. He is now facing charges for obstruction of justice.
Maj. Gen. Caramat said that members of the CIDG Regional Field Unit 3 and the Food and Drug Administration launched the sting following a complaint that the foreigners were selling smuggled coffee in the area.
Recovered from the suspects were an estimated P1,39 million worth of Defu Brown, Creamy White, Coconut, Black and Oatmeal Coffee. The coffee products were found in over 800 boxes.
Also confiscated during the sting were some 12,000 empty boxes of Defu Coffee, a labeling machine, a closed van and a gate pass describing the volume of the coffee products and delivery receipts.
“Sa pagsasaliksik ng mga kinatawan ng FDA ay napag-alaman na ang nasabing kumpanya ay walang lisensya para mag-operate at ang DEFU Coffee brand ay walang Certificate of Product Registration,” said the PNP-CIDG director.
The recovered pieces of evidence were placed under the safekeeping of the CIDG Regional Field Unit 3 for proper documentation.
The three arrested Asian nationals were charged for violation of Republic Act 9711 or the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009.
