Customs seizes P100 million in fake items during Valenzuela City operation

About P100 million in smuggled counterfeit goods were seized during a Valenzuela City operation, the Bureau of Customs said on Tuesday.

In a statement, the Bureau said the March 25 operation was led by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Intellectual Property Rights Division (CIIS-IPRD) and BOC-Port of Manila.

Armed with a letter of authority (LOA) issued by Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, the team inspected the warehouse located at No. 8 Rincon Road.

During the operation, Customs examiners discovered used clothing (ukay-ukay) and fake signature items such as Nike, Crocs, Sandugo, among others.

“As the agency intensifies its border protection efforts, the BOC assures the public that it will continue to suppress smuggling within the country,” BOC said.

The examination was conducted in the presence of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Further investigation is underway for possible violations of the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (RA 8293) and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (RA 10863). — DVM, GMA News