PRESS RELEASE

May 22, 2017

CIIS BUSTS P105-M FAKE IMPORTED SAFEGUARD

SOAPS, REXONA DEODORANTS, ETC. IN TONDO
AGENTS of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) yesterday
busted an estimated P105 million worth of smuggled imported counterfeit
items from China stashed in three warehouses inside Dagupan Center at 1331
Dagupan Street, Tondo, Manila.

CIIS Director Neil Anthony L. Estrella reported that the capture was a result of
a three-month long covert watch and vigorous surveillance on the target based
on a tip by legitimate brand owners whose products were faked in China and
smuggled into the country by crook importers.

Estrella bared that the smuggled counterfeit items include: 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, rain coats, etc.

It is the state policy of the Philippine government to protect and secure the
exclusive rights of scientists, inventors, artists and other gifted citizens to their
intellectual property and creations, particularly when beneficial to the people,
as guided by and provided in Republic Act (RA) No. 8293, thus we hit the said
contrabands.

Moreover, the crime of smuggling is a serious offense with corresponding

serious penalties as defined under RA 10863, Estrella said.

Intelligence Officer Jimmy Guban, lead agent and officer-on-case, reported that
owners of the captured smuggled counterfeit items -- who are Chinese
businessmen -- have mysteriously avoided to surface or 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 issued by Customs Commissioner Nicanor E.
Faeldon on May 9, 2017.

We coordinated with Dagupan Center administrator and security guards, with

whom we presented the LOA and MO, in an effort to ensure that the lawful
orders are carried out for and in behalf of the government, he said.
Guban claimed that he briefed and encouraged the centers administrator and
the guards to present the copies of LOA and MO to the Chinese businessmen
owners so they can present legit import documents on their shipments to the
Bureau of Customs (BOC) within 15 days as required by law.

With their failure to comply with it, the BOC will definitely issue a Warrant of
Seizure and Detention on the entire shipment and confiscate it for
condemnation, Guban added.

Intelligence Agent Ernan Abario, surveillance officer, reported that that the
contraband inside the three warehouses is in huge volume that can be
accommodated in at least 9x40 container vans.

In a modest estimate, it (entire contraband) is enough to stand as a good

supply depot of similar counterfeit items for countless shops in entire Divisoria
area and other locations in Metro Manila for a few months.

Hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting consumers will buy these fake items

in the market around Divisoria and other places not knowing either it will pose
serious risks to their physical health or to their well-being, he said.

Abario reported that the three warehouses (including three aluminum vans
(with similar items)) were padlocked and now under the custody of the BOC.

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