7 Chinese nabbed for intellectual property rights violation

Police arrested seven Chinese businessmen in simultaneous operations Saturday in Quezon and Valenzuela cities for alleged violation of intellectual property rights.

Superintendent Sotero Ramos Jr., Regional Intelligence Special Operations Office-National Capital Region Police Office (RISOO-NCRPO) chief, said that four of the suspects, Luis Tan, 50, Edwin Tan, 27, Jose Chua, 27, and Allan Tan, 25, were nabbed at No. 4 Domingo st., San Francisco del Monte in Quezon City at around 8:45 a.m.

The three others, Jerry Tan, 27, Wilson Tan, 28, and Jason Co, 25, all natives of Fujian, China, were arrested at around 9:45 a.m. at an apartment building on De Guzman st., Barangay Parada in Valenzuela City.

The susppects were arrested by virtue of search warrants issued by Executive Judge Antonio Eugenio Jr. of Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 24 dated Aug. 19.

According to Ramos, the raids were conducted after Miguel Tang, plant manager of Koten Enterprises, manufacturer of Koten circuit breakers, sought recently the help of NCRPO chief Director Vidal Querol alleging that the suspects were illegally duplicating their products.

On Querol’s order, Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division (RIID-NCRPO) chief Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr., formed a crack team that conducted the operations in Quezon City and Valenzuela.

The raids led to the seizure of fake Koten circuit breaker products with an estimated value of some P150,000 and the apprehension of the seven suspects.

The suspects are now detained at the RISOO-NCRPO detention cell. Police are set to file today charges against them.