NBI seizes P15-M fake beauty products

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents raided two warehouses in Tondo and two stalls in Divisoria early yesterday and confiscated close to P15 million worth of fake beauty products.

NBI Director Nestor Mantaring said the NBI-Intellectual Property Rights Division (IPRD) raided a stall at the 168 Mall and New Divisoria Mall, a warehouse in Sto. Cristo, Tondo and a five-story warehouse building along Tindalo street, Tondo, all in Manila.

IPRD Special Investigator Glenn Lacaran said the warehouse along Tindalo street turned out to harbor their biggest haul.

“The warehouse was reportedly being leased or owned by a Taiwanese national. It appeared that this is where they manufacture, pack and store the fake products. Considering the sizeable volume of products that we discovered, it is possible that they are major suppliers of imitation products in the country and that they have already been engaged in the illegal business for three to five years,” Lacaran said.

It took the 10-man team from the NBI-IPRD 12 hours to complete the raid. The confiscated products were loaded into five 10-wheeler trucks and were brought to a bonded warehouse.

Initial investigation showed that Unilever Philippines and Procter and Gamble earlier wrote a letter to the bureau complaining that they have received reports the four establishments were allegedly selling and distributing imitations of their products.

Lacaran said they “even had to use an acetylene torch to open the gate of the warehouse at Tindalo street.” Barangay officials witnessed the raid. 

The agents seized labels and empty bottles of various Olay, Dove, Jergens, Johnson and Johnson, Clear, and Head and Shoulders products. There were also machines used for repacking and resealing.

Lacaran said it appeared the suspects used generic lotions and shampoos and packed them in branded containers. “There was only a slight difference (between) the prices of the imitation products (and) the original products,” Lacaran said.

The Unilever and Procter and Gamble laboratories have yet to examine the confiscated items.

“We are (planning) to file charges of unfair competition and trademark infringement against the owners of these products,” Lacaran said.