NBI-7 raids yield P3.5 M in footwear

ABOUT 800 pairs of shoes and slippers worth P3.5 million were seized in simultaneous raids in three commercial establishments in Cebu and Mandaue by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation yesterday.

An NBI-7 team led by Agent Bernard dela Cruz carried out raids after a representative of DC Shoes in Australia complained that their products were counterfeited.

Dela Cruz asked the media not to reveal the identities of the three establishments where the alleged fake products were sold to avoid pre-empting an ongoing operation.

He said charges of violating Republic Act 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines will be filed against the persons who acquired the counterfeit products.

The NBI-7 will return the search warrant to the court and report on the raids.

The case stemmed from a complaint on the proliferation of counterfeit products that include DC Shoes, Speedo Bag, Quicksilver, and Roxy slippers.

The agents confiscated hundreds of pairs of DC shoes worth P3.2 million and slippers worth P300,000. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol