This undated photo from React Southeast Asia shows the confiscated counterfeit printer products.
MANILA, Philippines — A raid at a Tarlac-based company yielded 823 counterfeit bottles of printing inks and 44 fake printer ribbon cartridges, a global non-profit organization fighting counterfeit trade said Friday.
According to React Southeast Asia division head Jonathan Selvasegaram, a Singapore-based office notified Philippine authorities about the Tarlac company allegedly selling bogus items in a popular e-marketplace.
Authorities executed a search warrant at the Tarlac-based firm and discovered the counterfeit goods during an inspection of the premises.
However, React claimed that shipments of other counterfeit printing products had already been made before law authorities launched the operation.
“Upon questioning, the staff disclosed that some 20 boxes of counterfeit Epson inks were shipped out to customers weeks before the raid. Counterfeit ink bottles, the report pointed out, were likely imported from China and shipped nationwide,” Selvasegaram said in a statement.
React also noted no official sign of the business name at the company’s premises.
Selvasegaram explained the raid occurred in September, but they only made it public Friday after a settlement with the Tarlac-based trading firm was reached.
This undated photo from React Southeast Asia shows the confiscated counterfeit printer products.
INQUIRER.net has sought further clarification from React regarding the mentioned settlement, but this writer has not received a response as of this posting,
React has assisted printing company Epson Philippines in its efforts against the proliferation of product imitations.
“The selling of counterfeit products, such as fake Epson ink bottles, has been going on for years, but it had sharply increased – both in occurrence and magnitude – since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when most consumers began making their purchases online,” Selvasegaram said.
Selvasegaram then urged online sellers only to sell genuine products and cautioned consumers against fake products being offered online.
“We need everyone’s cooperation to put a stop to this illegal trade that is hurting honest businesses, consumers and the economy in general,” he stressed.
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