Agents of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized around P240 million worth of counterfeit products during an inspection of two 40-foot container vans at the Port of Subic.
BOC Commissioner Bien Rubio said the operation was based on intelligence reports of the existence of fake products that were imported and were supposed to be sold in the country.
photo: BOC
Rubio said Pre-Lodgment Control Orders were immediately issued which resulted in the conduct of physical examination and cross-referencing of documentation.
“Customs officers identified the containers carrying merchandise suspected of infringing upon protected intellectual property rights,” said Rubio.
He said the container vans contain were loaded with counterfeit goods, such as Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, Adidas, Calvin Klein, Under Armour, Lacoste, GAP, Nike, Zara, Reebok, and other brands inside 1,269 boxes.
“The shipments were initially reported to contain T-Shirts but were later found to contain assorted brand new apparel with logos and designs of branded goods, with an estimated value of P240 million,” said Rubio.
photo: BOC
Port of Subic District Collector Carmelita Tulusan said the the operation prevented the proliferation of counterfeit productrs in the country, adding that warrants of Seizure and Detention were issued against the subject shipments for violation of Section 155 of R.A. No. 8293 (Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines), in relation to Section 1113 (f) of R.A. No. 10863 (CMTA).
“The brand owners and the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) SBMA are in support of these operations, and the BOC Subic will further strengthen coordination,” said Tulusan.