The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) today announced the arrest of three individuals by the NBI-Task Force Against Illegal Drugs (NBI-TFAID) in Quezon City on June 30 for selling COVID-19 vaccines.
NBI Officer-In-Charge (OIC) Director Eric B. Distor identified the subjects as Harjit Kour Gonzales Singh, Alexis Franco de Guzman, and Calvin Maximillian Yeung Roca.
Distor said the operation stemmed from information that a certain ‘Harjit’ was selling COVID-19 vaccines, specifically, Sinovac vaccines. Acting on the tip, NBI-TFAID operatives conducted a series of surveillance operations, undercover work, and interviews.
Sometime after, the informant forwarded the information that subject Harjit had in her possession 300 doses of Sinovac vaccines available for P840,000 and that she needed to sell it within the week.
NBI-TFAID then communicated with the subject to place an order and subsequently planned an entrapment operation, agreeing to meet with her at Amoranto Sr. St. in Quezon City.
On June 30, NBI-TFAID operatives proceeded to the target meeting area to hand over the money in exchange for the 300 doses of Sinovac. One of the operatives who acted as a poseur-buyer, together with the informants, met with Singh and her group inside their SUV vehicle parked along Amoranto Sr. St. The operative handed the marked money to Singh while her two male companions waited near the SUV.
After the handover of money, Singh took the vaccines and transferred it to the operative’s vehicle. After the transaction, the undercover agent gave a pre-arranged signal to the other operatives and immediately rushed into the area where they apprehended Singh and her two companions identified as de Guzman and Roca.
The operation also resulted in the seizure of 300 doses of Sinovac, boodle money, cellphones, vehicle, and identification cards. The operatives identified de Guzman as a nurse and government employee of the City of Manila and assigned to Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center.
The subjects were brought to the NBI office for the standard booking procedure.
They were presented for inquest proceedings before the Department of Justice on July 2 for violating Republic Act No. 9711 or the Food and Drug Administration Act. (NBI) – jlo
