Customs agents seize P522-M counterfeit apparel in Pasay

Bureau of Customs (BOC) operatives have seized hundreds of boxes containing about P522 million worth of counterfeit products in a warehouse in Pasay City.

The fake products were stored in 10 units of Warehouse 142 along Cuneta Avenue, according to a BOC statement on Friday.

Packages of counterfeit apparel of brands such as Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, Vans, Fitflop and Crocs were confiscated by Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) and Enforcement and Security Service (ESS) agents.

The BOC raid was prompted by a tip from a concerned citizen who said that the fake products, reportedly from China, were stored in the warehouse, said Deputy Commissioner Ricardo Quinto of the BOC Intelligence Group.

BOC Commissioner Isidro Lapeña then authorized a joint-raid with the Pasay City police.

According to Lapeña, only Lita Liao, the warehouse administrator, was present during the raid last Thursday.

Liao told authorities that the units were leased to a certain Mr. Ang, a Mr. Gee, and a Mr. Ty, according to Lapeña. They were not their real names, the BOC chief said.

The three will be charged with violations of Section 118 (f) of Customs Modernization and Tariff Act in relation to Republic Act 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code, Lapeña said.