BoC seizes P482-M fake apparel – BusinessWorld Online
THE BUREAU of Customs (BoC) has seized P482.63 million worth of counterfeit apparel from Bangladesh that bore popular international and local brands.
“The sale and distribution of counterfeit products not only deceive consumers but also harm honest businesses that comply with the law. This operation reflects our continuing resolve to ensure that only legitimate goods enter the Philippine market,” Assistant Commissioner Atty. Vincent Philip C. Maronilla said in a statement on Thursday.
The confiscated goods arrived at the Port of Manila in August after being transshipped to Singapore from Bangladesh to evade the Customs’ profiling system.
“The containers were flagged for examination following intelligence reports indicating possible misdeclaration and suspected Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) infringement,” the BoC said.
The agency conducted a 100% physical inspection of the shipments on Oct. 9 and found 1,287 boxes of counterfeit branded apparel misdeclared as socks, each valued at P2,500.
The items bore the trademarks of multiple global and local brands, including but not limited to 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. — Aaron Michael C. Sy
