An estimated P145 million worth of alleged imitation products bearing the trademarks of known fashion brands have been seized by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) from commercial establishments in Binondo, Manila.
In a statement, the NBI said the "counterfeit products" were those of Balenciaga, Bottega, Veneta, Gucci, YSL, and Saint Laurent Paris.
It said they were seized last July 26 by operatives of the NBI Rizal District Office (NBI-RIZDO) during the implementation of 30 search warrants.
The NBI said that last June 26 “the office of NBI-RIZDO received a letter complaint, regarding certain establishments that were importing, storing, distributing, and selling counterfeit products bearing the trademark of Balenciaga, Bottega, Veneta, Gucci, YSL and Saint Laurent Paris within Metro Manila.”
“Acting on the complaint, NBI-RIZDO immediately conducted surveillance and test-buy operations, which confirmed the veracity of the information,” the bureau said.
After verification, the bureau said “NBI-RIZDO applied for Search Warrants and successfully implemented the same against the premises of the Subject located in Binondo, Manila.”