By Ferdinand Patinio
MANILA – Authorities seized various illegal goods estimated to be worth close to PHP175 million inside a warehouse in Valenzuela City.
Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip Maronilla said seized items include vape-related products, machinery, electronic devices, and pharmaceutical products, among others, on April 14.
Acting on a tip, Maronilla said the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), police and other partner units, discovered various goods believed to have originated from China.
The items lack the necessary importation permits and include suspected intellectual property rights (IPR)-infringing products, which pose potential risks to consumer health and safety if distributed in the local market.
The operation was carried out in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to intensify the monitoring of illicit trade.
Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno emphasized the importance of protecting the public from potentially unsafe goods.
“What concerns us most is that these products, if they make their way into our markets and homes, may pose serious risks to the health and safety of our people,” he said in a statement. (PNA)
