NBI raid bags P1M worth of fake Louis Vuitton items

Over P1 million worth of assorted fake Louis Vuitton products were seized during a joint operation conducted by the representatives of the company and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) around the Metro Cebu yesterday.

The raids were conducted based on search warrants issued by a Regional Trial Court in Manila.

Operatives of the NBI and representatives of Louis Vuitton from Manila simultaneously swooped down more than 20 stalls located inside a mall near Fuente Osmeña, a shopping center along V. Gullas St. and at the pre-departure area of the Mactan Cebu International Airport shortly before lunch yesterday.

The raiding team however failed to find fake products in some of the stalls. Most of the stalls raided were located at the bazaar section on the 3rd floor of a mall along Osmeña Blvd. There were also stalls inside a famous shopping center along V. Gullas st., and two stalls each inside the airport and in barangay Ermita.

The subjects of the search warrants issued by Manila RTC executive judge Antonio Eugenio Jr. were Ana Nguyen, Maricar Lee, Yong Yu Cai, Wan Wan Shi, Analiza Rodriguez, Milbert Cabrera, Mabel Abellanosa, Jhon Nguyen, Florencio Baynosa, Imee Lee, Archival Gadger and a certain Charity.

The subjects of the warrant for stalls inside the airport were Divina Valmoria and Analiza Damael Dy.

NBI operatives seized counterfeit finished and unfinished bags, wallets, travelling bags, jewelry boxes, pouches, organizers, coin purses and other products marked Louis Vuitton.

NBI regional director Medardo de Lemos said they will be filing charges for violation of Section 155 in relation to Section 170 of the Republic Act 8293 otherwise known as the Intellectual Property Law against the subjects of the search warrants, who were found positive of selling counterfeit products.

De Lemos said the NBI has conducted three weeks surveillance against those stalls after they received a complaint from Louis Vuitton. The confiscated items were temporarily placed in a warehouse for safekeeping. - Fred P. Languido