BOC seizes bogus goods worth P1.5 billion in Pasay warehouse

AGENTS of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, announced the seizure of around P1.5 billion worth of counterfeit goods during a raid in a warehouse in Pasay City.

Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said the operation stemmed from a verified information from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Intellectual Property Rights Division (CIIS-IPRD) about the presence of counterfeit products at Building 127 FB Harrison Street, corner J. Fernando Street in Pasay City.

Armed with a Letter of Authority (LOA) issued by Rubio, the BOC team, with the support from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Philippine National Police (CIDG-PNP) Group (PNP-CIDG), inspected the area on Friday, Feb. 17, and found items consisting of imitations of known brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Nike, Adidas, Supreme, Tory Burch, Skechers, and Birkenstock, among others.

Investigation likewise showed that there are approximately 70 units in the building that are leased and used as storage spaces.

“These counterfeit items not only jeopardize these brand names, but also seriously undermine our own local brands. It is therefore our mandate in the BOC to stop these deals and ensure a fair trade for foreign and local brands,” the Customs chief noted.

For his part, Intelligence Group Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy has vowed to intensify the crackdown against smuggling and counterfeit items.

“Discovering P1.5 billion worth of counterfeit items is no small joke, especially because these people are now becoming more sophisticated in the way they bring these products through our borders.

“But while this latest operation is an extraordinary feat, we acknowledge that more work needs to be done to stop these once and for all,” said Uy.

The value of the seized goods would be the biggest thus far this year for the bureau in its campaign against the proliferation of fake products in the local market.

Meanwhile, elements of Philippine Navy confiscated an estimated P90 million worth of undocumented cogarettes off the coast of Sulu last Saturday, February 18, 2023.

The Naval Force Western Mindanao said they seized 4,500 cases and 225 rims of undocumented cigarettes on board the ML Haiban, which they intercepted northeast off BJ Wharf, Indanan, Sulu. The contraband allegedly came from Indonesia.

Officials apprehended the boat’s 11 personnel and brought the confiscated goods to Mauboh Pier, Patikul, Sulu. The cigarettes have since been turned over to the Bureau of Customs for disposal.

At the Port of Cagayan de Oro, district collector Atty. Alexandra Yap-Lumontad, said her district is taking custody of 116 boxes of smuggled cigarettes found abandoned by the Malabang Municipal Police Office in Bgy. Tambara, Lanao del Sur last February 10.

The abandoned contraband was valued at P9.3 million.