The Bureau of Customs confiscated thousands of boxes of fake goods such as shoes, apparels, beauty products, toys, bags, cookwares, tiles and other imported items estimated to be worth P300 million in several warehouses in Baclaran, Pasay City.
The bureau raided three warehouses in Baclaran, Parañaque city and found the counterfeit smuggled goods inside Sunjoy Tower, Bagong Milenyo, and New Russel buildings.
“The operation was conducted after the BOC-ESS received a tip that fake items are stored in the buildings,” BOC Commissioner Isidro Lapeña said.
The Customs operatives, armed mission order conducted series of operations Inside the warehouses and discovered the large volume of shoes, bags, backpacks, all believed to be counterfeit.
Lapeña said the intercepted shoes stored in the warehouses have an estimated market value of approximately P200 million while the bags are said to be worth P100 million.
The warehouses were owned or leased to certain Cai Lu Zhi, Yang Yang, Yong Shun Chen, and Angkong.
No arrest was made as the alleged owners of the warehouses were not in the premises during the raid. Only the warehouse security personnel was present during the raid.
Counterfeit goods are classified as prohibited under the Republic Act No. 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.
The warehouse owners will be charged with violations of Section 118 (Prohibited Importation and Exportation) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) in relation to Republic Act 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code.
