Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) seized around P201 million worth of counterfeit footwear following the arrest of five foreigners in two separate operations in Bulacan.
CIDG director Police Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat, Jr. said those confiscated were fake Crocs and Havaianas and part of the follow-up operations on May 24 when the CIDG Field Unit in Central Luzon seized around P13.5 million worth of counterfeit Crocs in Marilao, Bulacan.
Caramat said that on June 5, 33-year old Lian Chang Jiang, 60-year old Wu Gu Ding and 64-year old Chu Jen Huang were collared at the King Sport Property Compound, Barangay Lambakin, Marilao, Bulacan for allegedly selling suspected counterfeit Crocs.
Seized were 1,311 sacks containing 62,000 pairs of Crocs with an estimated value of P180 million.
The following day, CIDG operatives arrested Shuzhen Wang and Zhengfeng Lin after they yielded counterfeit Crocs worth more than P1 million during a raid in Warehouse No. 3, Duhat Road, Barangay Duhat, Bucaue, Bulacan.
During the search, Caramat said his men also discovered a warehouse filled with several assorted counterfeit Havaianas, Nike, and Adidas footwear and sandals with an approximate value of more or less Php20 million.
“They represent themselves as authorized distributors of those products, inducing the public to believe that the goods offered are original, at a price that is way below the distributor price of the company. Further investigation is being conducted by the detectives of CIDG Region 3 to identify and locate the supplier of the seized counterfeit products,” said Caramat.
He said the arrested suspects and confiscated pieces of evidence were taken to the CIDG office, adding that the five foreigners are facing violation of Sec. 155, 168 and 169, R.A. 8293 otherwise known as the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.