BOC raid uncovers

Three warehouses allegedly supplying various fake goods to "countless shops" in Divisoria were raided by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) yesterday.

The uncovered goods valued at least R105 million were stashed in three warehouses inside the Dagupan Center at 1331 Dagupan Street in Tondo, Manila, Col. Neil Anthony Estrella, CustomsIntelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) director, said.

Estrella said the items included hundreds of boxes of Rexona sachet deodorants; Safeguard soaps; Bulldog super glue; insect spray; baby diapers; Spalding basketball; mosquito coils; lighters; Mongol pencil; toothbrush; steel scrubs; spools and rain coats.

The warehouses were uncovered after three months of surveillance, Estrella said.

The CIIS chief said the operation stemmed from tips from brand owners whose products were being faked in another country, then smuggled into the country by unscrupulous importers.

Intelligence Agent Ernan Abario, surveillance officer, said the contraband can be stored in several large container vans.

“In our estimate, the entire shipment is enough to stand as a good supply depot for countless shops in Divisoria and other locations in Metro Manila and last for several months," Abario said.

“Hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting consumers will end up buying these fake items in the market around Divisoria and other places not knowing these will pose serious risks to their health and well-being,” Abario added.

Case agent Jimmy Guban, on the other hand, disclosed that the owners of the counterfeit items are Chinese businessmen who refused to receive the official copy of the Letter of Authority (LOA) No. 05-09-136-2017 and Mission Order (MO) No. 05-09-2017-1223, both