Police nab 3 over fake sanitary pad

A gang of three allegedly involved in the distribution and sale of sanitary pads purported to cure different ailments has been arrested by the police in Koforidua and transferred to Accra.

Dennis Kanny, a.k.a Dennis Kofi Dogbey, Rose Osei and Caroline Mantse are said to be fronting for the Chinese who imported the items into the country.

On Friday, November 12, the Times published the arrest of a Chinese, Henry Cia, 24, in connection with the fake sanitary pads which he claimed, could cure all manner of ailments including hypertension when soaked in water and drank.

The arrest of the three followed a tip-off and a subsequent undercover monitoring by an agent of the Food and Drugs Board (FDB).

They were arrested whilst recruiting distribution agents for the product.

Briefing the Times, the FDB said following an earlier publication in the Times about the pad, a lot of reports had been received by the FDB about the product.

He said he was commissioned by the FDB Chief Executive to investigate the matter further and, therefore, travelled to Koforidua to get to the bottom of the issue.

The agent said on arrival at Koforidua and upon further enquiries, he was directed to a nurse at the Koforidua hospital and during his interaction with her, he expressed interest in the product.

The nurse reportedly was quick in extolling the virtues of the sanitary pads which she said could treat all forms of pelvic inflammatory diseases, menopausal problems, boost immune system, reduce blood cholesterol and blood pressure among many other ailments.

He said it was at that juncture that he was invited to a meeting the following day where a talk on the product was scheduled to take place.

The FDB agent said he arrived at the East SDA education office, the venue for the meeting near the Appenteng Hall at Koforidua, just to realise that it was a meeting of heads of educational institutions for the SDA church.

The agent said after talks on a number of issues the culprits were given the platform to educate the people about the product.

He said it was then that they started extolling the virtues of the sanitary pads with the nurse in attendance endorsing the product.

The agent said in order to convince the gathering, the nurse put one of the green pads which underlined the sanitary pad, in a cup of water and gulped the content "It was at this juncture that, the police moved in to effect the arrest of the perpetrators," he said.

Meanwhile, information gathered by Times indicate that the Chinese importer of the product who was arrested following the earlier publication on the sanitary pad has been granted police enquiry bail.

In another development, the producers of the product in Hong Kong have denied that it could be used for medical cure.

That notwithstanding, a check on the internet will reveal multiple sites including that of the factory extolling many virtues of the product.

Dr. Stephen Opuni, Chief Executive of the FOB, in a statement released in connection with the "Love Moon Sanitary Pad" said the FOB registered the pad solely as sanitary pad for external use only.

The statement; therefore, advises the general public to beware of persons who are deceiving the public by making unsubstantiated claims about the pad.