The Bureau of Customs (BOC), through its Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Intellectual Property Rights Division (CIIS-IPRD), seized smuggled counterfeit and unregistered health products with an estimated value of Php 31,500,000.00 in two (2) operations on April 19, 2022 in Santa Cruz, Manila.
Armed with a Letters of Authority (LOA) issued by BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero, the implementing team composed of personnel from the CIIS-IPRD, BOC-Port of Manila (POM), National Bureau of Investigation – National Capital Region, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines inspected the warehouses located at 1005 Ongpin Street, Santa Cruz, Manila and Units A, B, C, and D at 641 Fernandez Street, Santa Cruz, Manila.
Prior sealing the subject warehouses, BOC examiners, in the presence of CIIS and the AFP operatives, conducted an inventory of goods comprising of various items requiring registrations and clearances from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) such as medical and cosmetic products bearing the brands Lianhua Lung Cleansing Tea, Healthy Brain Pills, Gluta Lipo, Lidan Tablets, Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa, Vita herbs and other goods bearing Chinese brands. The goods found in the warehouses at 1005 Ongpin Street were valued to be at approximately Php 9,500,000.00, while the ones at 642 Fernandez Street were valued to be around Php 22,000,000.00.
The concerned representatives of the respective warehouses were informed by the implementing team to provide importation documents and other pertinent permits covering all goods found thereat. In addition, further investigation is underway for other possible violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act Republic Act (R.A. no. 10863), Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (R.A. 8293), and the Food and Drug Administration Act (R.A. 9711).
Under the leadership of Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero, the BOC continues to enforce its stringent border security measures to ensure the safety of local consumers against smuggled counterfeit goods posing health hazards
