A warehouse in Baclaran, Parañaque City was found to have P2 billion worth of counterfeit goods ranging from signature branded clothes to beauty products, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said.
Various footwear and clothing items bearing the names Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Onitsuka Tiger, Vans, Adidas, Nike, JBL, Sony, and Jordan were found in the storage facility that was inspected by customs agents Thursday, June 3.
Fake personal care products such as Cetaphil, Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Vaseline, Jergens, Dove, Nivea, Glutamax, Kojic, Joe Malone, Bulgari, D&G, Channel, Victoria’s Secret, Hugo Boss, and Clinique were also discovered in the warehouse.
The bureau said in a statement Friday, June 4 that the items have been imported and stored in the warehouse prior to their distribution to local markets.
Armed with a letter of authority and mission order signed by BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero, a team from the Port of Manila's Intellectual Property Rights Division (IPRD)–Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) inspected the facility in Baclaran. The activity was in line with the bureau's efforts against smuggling and the proliferation of counterfeit goods.
The items were seized for possible violation of Section 118 (f) of Republic Act (RA) No. 10863, also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA); and RA No. 8293, also known as the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (IPCP).
"The seizure is one of the bureau's biggest seizures of counterfeit goods in 2021," Guerrero said, while stressing that the fake perfumes, cosmetic and beauty products may contain toxic chemicals that are harmful to health.
An investigation to identify the entities behind the smuggled goods is under way, the bureau said.