The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the United States Government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid – with aid coming in different forms, including food as well as used clothing.
But relief goods don’t always make their way to the proper recipients because unscrupulous individuals are diverting these supposedly free goods into a business opportunity for themselves!
Following intelligence reports from no less than the US Homeland Security, operatives from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) raided an ukay-ukay warehouse in Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental, central Philippines last week.
According to the intelligence reports from US Homeland Security, the USAID consignment was consigned to a certain Romeo Omictin from Banilad, Dumaguete City. NBI Special Investigator (SI) Ma. Contessa Lastimoso scouted the place as an undercover agent and made a test buy.
Lastimoso was able to buy one bale worth Php5,800 and found out that the ukay-ukay bales range from Php5,000 to Php17,000, depending on the quality of relief goods inside.