P482 million counterfeit goods seized at Port of Manila

PH airports remain entry points for drugs; courier with P42 million shabu nabbed at NAIA

On Nov 2, 2025

Bureau of Customs Assistant Commissioner and Spokesperson Atty. Vincent Maronilla, holds a sample of the fake apparel worth more than P482 million during a media presentation at the Port of Manila, October 30, 2025. To his right is Customs Intelligence (CIIS) Director Thomas Narcise (photo: BOC-PIAD).

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) headed by Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno announced the confiscation of fake apparel and clothing products worth over P482 million at the Port of Manila.

At a media presentation last October 30 presided by Assistant Commissioner Atty. Vincent Maronilla and Customs Intelligence (CIIS) Director Thomas Narcise together with representatives from the affected brand representatives, the fake brands include, Jag, Bench, Zara, Givenchy, Fubu, Lee, H&M, Cotton On, Lacoste, Burberry, Essentials, Champion, Jordan, Levi’s, Bathing Ape, Oakley, RRJ, Calvin Klein, and Off-white.

Maronilla said the shipment arrived at the Port of Manila last August from Bangladesh and was transshipped thru Singapore to evade the bureau’s profiling system.

As usual, however, the BOC declined to name the erring consignee and customs broker.

Maronilla added the 100 percent inspection of the containers last October 9 resulted to the discovery of 1,287 boxes of the counterfeit branded apparels that were misdeclared as “socks.”

Each item was estimated to have a market value of ₱2,500, amounting to a total of ₱482,625,000.

POM District Collector Alexander Alviar on October 28 ordered the seizure of the shipment for violation of Section 118 (Prohibited Importation and Exportation) in relation to Sections 1113 and 1401 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and Republic Act No. 8293, or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.

Maronilla added the shipment would be condemned while criminal charges are being prepared against those behind the smuggling attempt.

Customs operatives at the NAIA T3 conducting confirmatory test on the shabu seized from a passenger from Ethiopia, October 28, 2025 (photo: BOC-PIAD).

“The sale and distribution of counterfeit products not only deceive consumers but also harm honest businesses that comply with the law,” Maronilla noted.

“This operation reflects our continuing resolve to ensure that only legitimate goods enter the Philippine market.”

Drug courier arrested at NAIA

At the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) a passenger from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was arrested on arrival at Terminal 3 last October 28 for carrying more than 6 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) worth P42.5 million.

The BOC said alert personnel from the BOC’s X-Ray Inspection Project (XIP) detected “suspicious images” from the passenger’s hand carried bag.

Upon further inspection and field testing using a Raman Spectrometer, the content turned out to be 6.250 kilos of shabu.

The apprehended passenger and the seized contraband were turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for further investigation and filing of appropriate charges.

Again, the BOC decline to identity the drug courier.