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The Bureau of Customs arrested 77 individuals for looting locked Pasay warehouse
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The suspects were nabbed for stolen counterfeit bags, shoes, and clothing from the warehouse
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The BOC had issued the warehouse with a Letter of Authority for violation of intellectual property rights
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) arrested 77 individuals, including ten Chinese nationals, on October 26 for their alleged involvement in looting a locked warehouse in Pasay.
Sixty-seven Filipinos and ten Chinese nationals were apprehended for stealing counterfeit bags, shoes, and clothing from the sealed warehouse.
Verne Enciso, director of BOC’s Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), said the operation was carried out in collaboration with CIIS-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) after receiving a report of theft from the Pasay warehouse.
Previously subjected to a Letter of Authority (LOA) and sealed, the warehouse had been closed down due to the presence of goods infringing on intellectual property rights (IPR) held by various companies.
During the operation, Customs agents spotted the suspects transporting the stolen merchandise from the upper floors of the warehouse to the ground floor.
Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Juvymax Uy reassured the public that all confiscated items were duly accounted for during a verification process on the same day of the operation.
“The success of each operation, including seeing them through the legal proceedings, is crucial to the health of the Philippine industry. These operations show the seriousness of our work and send the right message to businesses that want to invest here,” Uy said.
The BOC coordinated the operation with several other agencies, including the Enforcement and Security Service-Quick Reaction Team, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau Action Team Against Smuggling, Public Information and Assistance Division, and barangay officials.
“This operation only goes to show the extent of the BOC’s mandate. More than stopping these illegal activities and seizing contraband products, we must also be at the forefront of ensuring that these seized items will remain in our custody until the cases are done and we are instructed by the proper courts on how to go about disposing or liquidating them,” Customs commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said in a statement.
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