Cops seize fake Prada, Hermes bags

MANILA, Philippines–About P1-billion worth of fake signature bags were seized in a police raid on several warehouses on Alvarado Street in Binondo, Manila, on Friday.

The contraband included imitations of Hermes, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Salvatore Ferragamo and Michael Kors products.

Senior Supt. Bartolome Bustamante of the Anti-Fraud and Commercial Crimes Unit of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said the raiding team acted on a warrant of seizure issued by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and would soon subpoena the warehouse owners for a hearing at the bureau.

The CIDG, however, has yet to get their names due to difficulties in securing the lease contracts of the warehouses.

Friday’s operation was a joint effort of the BOC, CIDG, National Bureau of Investigation and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.

Bustamante said the fake goods had been distributed mostly in malls and stores in Divisoria and Baclaran. Julie M. Aurelio