The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested a Vietnamese national on Monday for the illegal practice of medicine and other offenses.

Operatives from the NBI identified the suspect as Hoang Thi Hai Yen, also known as “Van Pahm” and “Doc. Yen,” who was apprehended during an entrapment operation conducted by the NBI’s Dangerous Drugs Division.

The operation was initiated after the NBI received information that a group of Vietnamese nationals was performing unauthorized cosmetic treatments and surgeries without the necessary licenses from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

Initial reports disclosed that the group was also accused of illegally dispensing medicines without proper authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

An NBI agent, posing as a patient, secured an appointment with the suspect at a clinic in Manila. The agent was quoted a fee of P105,000 for a cosmetic procedure.

Hoang Thi Hai Yen was arrested after she failed to present a PRC-issued professional identification card or any FDA-issued authorization documents.

She faces charges for violations of the Medical Act of 1959, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, the Consumer Act of the Philippines, the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009, and the Philippine Pharmacy Act.