Hundreds of boxes of fake products with an estimated worth of P521.93 million were seized by agents of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on December 14 in a raid on a warehouse in Pasay City.
Agents from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service and the Enforcement and Security Service uncovered the fake goods stored inside 10 units of Warehouse 142 on Cuneta Avenue, Pasay City, BOC said in a statement.
Found inside the units were packages of fake apparel brands such as Lee, Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, and Vans, as well as counterfeit FitFlop and Crocs footwear. Other items seized were non-branded watches and comfort shoes without the required import permit.
According to Intelligence Group Deputy Commissioner Ricardo Quinto, customs agents acted on a report from a concerned citizen.
Armed with Letter of Authority No. 12-13-2017-001 issued by Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña, customs agents proceeded with the operation together with the local police of Pasay City. Officials and representatives from the BOC-Intellectual Property Rights Division and Formal Entry Division examiners were also present during the inspection.
BOC agents identified the warehouse administrator as Lita Liao, who said the units were leased to a Mr. Ang, a Mr. Gee, and a Mr. Ty, which BOC said were not their real names. No arrests were made because the unit owners were not on the premises during the raid.
The seized goods reportedly came from China.
The unit owners will be charged with violating Section 118 (f) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, and Republic Act No. 8293, or the Intellectual Property Code.
“The raid was part of BOC’s continued operations against all forms of smuggling of counterfeit goods to protect the consumers and the legitimate business community in general,” Lapeña said.
“I challenge the BOC intelligence and enforcement groups to always be on guard and be relentless in our anti-smuggling operations. We are here to also protect the consumers and the legitimate business community from these fake products.”
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