The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has seized some P2 million worth of counterfeit computer printer’s ink during a raid on two condominium units in Quiapo, Manila.
The NBI did not identify the owner or occupants of the condo units, located at the BMK E-Commerce Park in Quiapo where 1,518 allegedly fake Epson ink bottles were confiscated.
The operatives conducted the raid last Feb. 21 following a complaint by the Singapore-based Seiko Epson Corp. filed through React, a global non-profit organization that has been battling counterfeit trade for more than 30 years now. The seized items were believed to be distributed and sold through online markets.
“The raid, which resulted in the confiscation of the biggest volume of counterfeit Epson ink bottles so far, clearly demonstrates the commitment of Philippine law enforcement agencies, particularly the NBI, to combat the trade in fake goods,” Jonathan Selvasegaram, head of the Asia-Pacific division of React, said.
“The online trade in counterfeit products is a problem, not only in the Philippines, but around the world,” he added.
COUNTERFEIT EPSON PRODUCTS. Fake Epson ink bottles with a total market value of Ph₱2 million were found by NBI agents, armed with search warrants, when they raided the premises of an online trading firm.
“Low quality counterfeit products are purchased online by unsuspecting consumers. While brand owners are working with law enforcement agencies, conducting awareness programs and investing in anti-counterfeiting features on their products, we hope e-commerce platforms will also step up to proactively filter out and blacklist counterfeit sellers and products.”
The February raid followed a similar action by the NBI in September last year when its operatives swooped down on a Tarlac-based trading company specializing in office and school supplies. That raid also resulted in the confiscation of a huge cache of counterfeit Epson products.
The wave of actions taken by NBI to address counterfeit ink products is expected to have a positive business impact on legitimate stationery and office supplies who have been seeing their genuine ink sales declining due to the rampant sale of counterfeit ink online.
“Epson and React appreciate the support the NBI is giving to the campaign against the trade in counterfeit goods, and we will continue to work with them,” Selvasegaram said. “But the fight against this illegal trade is not just a matter for law enforcement agencies. We
need everyone’s cooperation to put a stop to this counterfeiting menace that is hurting legitimate sellers, consumers, the reputation of product manufacturers and the economy in general.”
To address the influx of fake ink bottles and cartridges sold online, Epson Philippines has posted a list of authorized dealers on its webpage at https://www.epson.com.ph/
“Consumers can contact these stores and buy from them so they can be sure that they’re getting genuine printer ink as well as other Epson products,” Selvasegaram said.