The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has destroyed over 150,000 pairs of smuggled counterfeit footwear products that bore well-known brands and had a market worth of at least P50 million.
The condemned fake shoes and slippers bearing various brands including Nike, Adidas, Converse, Skechers, North Face, Leaveland, Merrell, Lacoste, Vans, Havaianas, and Ipanema were seized from Warehouse 4 of the Olivarez Compound in Parañaque City last February.
The confiscation was based on a warrant of seizure and detention for violating Section 2530 and Section 101 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP), as amended, in relation to the Intellectual Property Code, or Republic Act 8293.
“These counterfeit shoes and slippers were smuggled from China and were part of a big raid we had last year inside the Olivarez Compound in Parañaque City,” Customs Commissioner John Phillip Sevilla said in a statement.
“We seized the warehouse to check the legality of the importation of goods but the owner failed to produce proof of payment of duties and taxes from Customs; consequently, the warehouse was padlocked and sealed for BOC custody,” Sevilla added.
The shipments went through a series of hearings with no representatives of the claimant showing up, so the fake items were forfeited and destroyed.
Sevilla said the condemnation, which happened on February 24, was “just the beginning of our campaign to destroy these fake products so that these items would not find their way into anyone’s hands.”
“We will not allow the Philippines to be a dumping ground of counterfeit goods,” the Customs chief pointed out.
Sevilla added that BOC will ensure that manufacturers and distributors of genuine brands are protected against counterfeit products and urged the public not to buy dubious merchandise.
He also explained that the almost one-year gap between the seizure of the smuggled products and their condemnation was attributable to having to comply with due process that included issuance of subpoenas to the consignees and brokers, the need to involve brand owners, and the conduct of hearings according to existing regulations.
Sevilla noted that BOC’s Run-After-the-Smugglers (RATS) campaign continues to build up cases against importers and brokers involved in counterfeit smuggling.
The condemnation was witnessed by representatives from legitimate manufacturers of branded products.
Last April 2014, the BOC also shredded more than 200 boxes of shoes imported from China after they were found to be fake on inspection at the Port of Davao.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
