BOC seizes Php 105-M fake imported soaps, deodorants in Manila

An estimated Php 105 million worth of smuggled imported counterfeit items were apprehended by Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) in three warehouses in Manila on Monday, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said. (Photo: Bureau of Customs PH/ Facebook)

MANILA— An estimated Php 105 million worth of smuggled imported counterfeit items were apprehended by Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) in three warehouses in Manila on Monday, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said.

In a statement, CIIS Director Neil Anthony Estrella said the fake general merchandise, which came from China, were stashed in separate storage rooms inside Dagupan Center at 1331 Dagupan Street, Tondo.

The seized items include: hundreds of boxes of Rexona sachet deodorants; Safeguard soaps; Bulldog super glue; Insect spray; baby diapers; Spalding basketball; mosquito coils; lighters; Mongol pencil; toothbrush; steel scrubs; spools, rain coats, etc.

He reported that the haul was a result of a three-month long covert watch and vigorous surveillance on the target based on a tip by legitimate brand owners.

“It is the state policy of the Philippine government to protect and secure the exclusive rights of scientists, inventors, artists and other gifted citizens to their intellectual property and creations, particularly when beneficial to the people, as guided by and provided in Republic Act (RA) No. 8293, thus we hit the said contrabands,” Estrella said.

“Moreover, the crime of smuggling is a serious offense with corresponding serious penalties as defined under RA 10863,” he added.

On the other hand, Intelligence Agent Ernan Abario, surveillance officer said the contraband inside the three warehouses is in huge volume that can be accommodated in at least 9×40 container vans.

“In a modest estimate, it (entire contraband) is enough to stand as a good supply depot of similar counterfeit items for countless shops in entire Divisoria area and other locations in Metro Manila for a few months,” he said.

Abario added,” Hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting consumers will buy these fake items in the market around Divisoria and other places not knowing either it will pose serious risks to their physical health or to their well-being.”

Meanwhile, Intelligence Officer Jimmy Guban, lead agent and officer-on-case, reported that owners of the seized items — who are Chinese businessmen — have mysteriously avoided to surface or receive the official copy of the Letter of Authority (LOA) No.: 05-09-136-2017 and Mission Order (MO) No.: 05-09-2017-1223, both issued by Customs Commissioner Nicanor E. Faeldon on May 9, 2017.

“We coordinated with Dagupan Center administrator and security guards, with whom we presented the LOA and MO, in an effort to ensure that the lawful orders are carried out for and in behalf of the government,” he said.

Guban said the center’s administrator and the guards have been asked to present the copies of LOA and MO to the owners so they can present legit import documents on their shipments to the bureau within 15 days as required by law.

“With their failure to comply with it, the BOC will definitely issue a Warrant of Seizure and Detention on the entire shipment and confiscate it for condemnation,” he added.

The warehouses (including three aluminum vans (with similar items)) were padlocked and now under the custody of the BOC.