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A Bureau of Customs inspection of a Cavite warehouse yields P600 million worth of copyright-infringing smuggled goods
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The seized goods include motorcycle accessories, footwear and apparel bearing brands such as Nike, Adidas and Gucci
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The warehouse has been sealed off as BOC investigates further
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized copyright-infringing goods worth an estimated P600 million in a warehouse in Kawit, Cavite on March 28.
The smuggled goods were discovered during an inspection by a BOC team, supported by Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel, at the warehouse located at Toclong-San Sebastian Road in Kawit, the agency said in a statement.
An inventory by BOC examiners found the seized goods included motorcycle accessories as well as footwear and apparel bearing brands such as Nike, Adidas and Gucci.
Under Republic Act No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), copyright-infringing goods are prohibited articles and should immediately be seized or confiscated.
The warehouse has been sealed and further investigation is underway for other possible violations of RA 8293, or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, and the CMTA.
BOC had earlier said counterfeit goods worth P1.91 billion were the top type of seized commodities in terms of value in the first quarter of 2022.
READ: BOC seizes P3.9B worth of contraband in 1Q
In 2021, counterfeit goods also accounted for 76% or P21.651 billion of BOC’s seized smuggled goods amounting to P28.427 billion, according to its 2021 annual report.
