THE Bureau of Customs (BOC), through the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Intellectual Property Rights Division (CIIS-IPRD), seized various counterfeit goods estimated to be worth P1.5 billion in Pasay City on February 17, 2023.

Armed with Letters of Authority (LOA) issued by BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, the implementing team inspected the storage facility at Building 127 FB Harisson Street, corner J Fernando Street in Pasay City with help from the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).

Commissioner Rubio took note of the importance of coordinating with different government agencies, as well as the hard work of Customs officials in bringing success to every operation.

“Our people target, detect, intercept, and thereby prevent the entry of these contraband items before they can do any harm to our markets. These counterfeit items not only jeopardizes 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,” he said.

For his part, Intelligence Group Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy promised 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,” he said.

The LOA team required proof of payment for the taxes and duties paid on all imported goods and proof of authenticity for the branded goods.

Per the initial report, there are approximately 70 units in the building that are leased and used as storage spaces.

Authorities are already conducting inventories of the items found, which include counterfeit goods bearing the brands Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Nike, Adidas, Supreme, Tory Burch, Skechers, and Birkenstock, among others.

Further investigation is also underway for other possible violations of the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (RA 8293) and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (RA 10863).

Commissioner Rubio continues to lead the BOC in the stringent implementation of Customs laws to protect local consumers from the hazards of smuggled goods while ensuring efficient revenue collection for the national government.

AUTHOR PROFILE

People's Tonight