Custom agents have seized P45 million worth of used clothing and “counterfeit” products in Parañaque City.
The contraband was confiscated during a raid by a team from the Customs Intelligence Group on a warehouse along Baltao Road. The haul consisted of 3,300 bales of used clothing and counterfeit apparel bearing the brands Crocs, Adidas, and Nike, among others.
The operation was conducted during the weekend as ordered by Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero.
As customers shop online due to the pandemic lockdowns, fake products proliferated, prompting the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to seek the help of law enforcers, notably the Bureau of Customs.
IPOPHL revealed that complaints on counterfeiting and piracy filed in 2020 with the agency surge to 121 as the coronavirus pandemic presented lucrative opportunities for unscrupulous traders.
Meanwhile, Republic Act 4653 bans the importation of “ukay-ukay” (used clothes) is banned to protect the health of the Filipinos and to preserve the Filipino dignity.