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The Bureau of Customs (BOC) destroyed Friday P300-million worth of counterfeit items in its bid to address smuggling and erase the country’s reputation as dumping ground of fake items.

Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez said today’s condemnation of fake goods, which include imitations of Energizer batteries and various articles of popular brands like Louis Vuitton, Channel, Gucci, Lacoste, Breitling and Nike, is one of the biggest that the agency conducted.

These items were imported by Multikarat Enterprises and Portwings Trading in violation of the country’s Intellectual Property Law.

Alvarez has ordered the immediate prosecution of people, both the private individuals and their cohorts in BOC, involved in the smuggling of these goods, to stress the agency’s stand that “smuggling (is) unprofitable and corruption (is) a shameful crime.”

“(This) stems from our desire to rid the country of the stigma of being referred to as a dumping ground for fake goods,” he said.

Relatively, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service Director Filomeno Vicencio Jr. is hopeful that the agency’s strengthened anti-smuggling drive “would go a long way in planting the seed of fear and uncertainty in the hearts and minds of smugglers of fake consumer items.”

“Importation of counterfeit commodities is a serious concern not only because of its negative effect on the country’s reputation but also because of the way it discourages brand owners from investing in the country,” he added.



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