Php 250-M worth of fake goods seized in Manila

MANILA — More than Php 250 million worth of counterfeit and smuggled goods were seized in separate operations in Binondo and Quiapo, Manila, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Director Benjamin Magalong said on Friday.

He said the seizure was effected through the joint efforts of the Anti-Fraud and Commercial Crimes Unit-CIDG, Intellectual Property Office (Philippines), Bureau of Customs (BOC), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Magalong said that around 11 a.m. on Thursday, the service of warrant of seizure and detention was carried out at Units 407, 408, and 409 Fortune Palace Building, Juan Luna St., Binondo, where counterfeit clothing, NBA jerseys, different apparels worth more than Php 20 million was discovered.

He added three hours later, another service of seizure and detention warrant was executed at Units 2A, 3A, 3B and 4A Gui Building, Palma St., Quiapo, Manila wherein counterfeit Samsung cellular phones/tablets, Samsung printing machines, Apple Ipods, Beats monster speakers, Hello Kitty mini speakers, Sony MP5 players, and several counterfeit branded wristwatches were confiscated during the raid.

Magalong said the second batch of fake items, worth Php230-million, were brought to BOC warehouse for safekeeping while the filing of charges against the owners of counterfeit products are being processed .

He said the warrant of seizure and detention had an attached subpoena for the owners to appear before the BOC tribunal while the CIDG will file a case for violation of RA 8293 (Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines) against them.

If the seized items are useful and will not harm the end-users, these will be possibly donated, otherwise, such will be destroyed, Magalong said.