Customs seized 1,287 boxes of counterfeit goods worth over 400 million, involving multiple international brands

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A batch of goods arriving at the Port of Manila contained counterfeit brand clothing worth 482.6 million pesos, which was seized by the Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC).

The counterfeit goods originated in Bangladesh and were transited through Singapore in an attempt to evade the screening system of the Philippine Bureau of Customs. The agency said in a press release that intelligence reports prompted Customs to prioritize the relevant containers for inspection, and found that 1,287 boxes of counterfeit branded clothing were falsely declared as socks. Each piece of counterfeit clothing has an estimated market value of 2,500 pesos, for a total value of over 482 million pesos.

On October 9, the customs conducted a 100% physical inspection of the goods and confirmed the fact of false reporting and infringement of intellectual property rights. The seized clothing bore the trademarks of many international and local brands, including: Jag, Bench, Zara, Givenchy, Fubu, Lee, H&M, Cotton On, Lacoste, Burberry, Essentials, Champion, Jordan, Levi's, Bathing Ape, Oakley, RRJ, Calvin Klein and Off-white, etc.

On October 28, Customs issued a seizure and detention order stating that it violated Section 118 (Prohibition of Imports and Exports) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and Sections 1113 and 1401 related thereto, as well as Republic Act No. 8293, the Philippine Intellectual Property Code.

Customs said the goods will now be confiscated in accordance with the law and criminal proceedings will be instituted against those responsible.

Brand representatives expressed their gratitude to the Customs for their vigilance and dedication in protecting intellectual property rights and maintaining fair competition.

On October 30, under the leadership of Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip Maronilla, Customs inspected the seized items. Also participating in the inspection were the Director of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Bureau and representatives of the affected brands, who jointly verified the batch of counterfeit goods.