The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has destroyed about 500,000 pieces of fake goods estimated to be worth P50 million and seized at the Port of Manila in December 2017.
Among the shredded and crushed goods were fake sandals and rubber shoes bearing the brand names Adidas and Nike, as well as watches, t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, pants, jackets, slippers, and children’s shoes, BOC said in a statement.
The condemnation took place on August 10 in a condemnation facility in San Pedro, Laguna owned by BOC-accredited Tritek Reverse Logistics Corp. It was broadcast in line with Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña’s directive for all ports to broadcast the condemnation of forfeited items in view of public interest and transparency.
The fake goods were among those intercepted during a warehouse raid in December 2017 at 142 Cuneta Ave., Pasay City by agents of BOC’s Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service and Enforcement and Security Service.
The fake merchandise, which violated the country’s intellectual property rights, was seized on February 8, 2018 and consequently declared forfeited in favor of the government on July 16, 2018 by the Office of the District Collector of the Port of Manila.
At the outset, the owners failed to produce evidence of payment of duties and taxes and to show evidence that the items were not fake, prompting BOC to issue a warrant of seizure and detention.
The seized fake goods violated Section 1113 (Property Subject to Seizure and Forfeiture) (f) and (l), and Section 118 (Prohibited Importation and Exportation) (f) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), in relation to Section 166 (Goods Bearing Infringing Marks or Trade Names) of Republic Act No. 8293, or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.
Section 1146 of the CMTA also provides that all prohibited goods like counterfeit goods must be destroyed.
