700 million pesos worth of fake high-end signature bags seized by Bureau of Customs (BOC) Intellectual Property Rights Division (IPRD) operatives in August 2011 were today shredded to avoid its being smuggled back into the local market.

According to Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon, the condemnation of the fake goods which were seized from a stall at Kings Plazain Binondo, Manila last year is part of the Bureau’s thrust to protect the local economy, particularly the local employment.

“The destruction today of these illegally imported fake high-end bags will not only result in the preservation of thousands of local jobs, but this will also help save the Filipino consumers from being duped into buying fake high-end imported goods in the local market,” Biazon said.

“Moreover, this will also save the local business community from unfair competition brought about by the entry of cheaper but lower quality fake imported goods,” the Commissioner added.

BOC Commissioner for Intelligence Group (IG) Danilo Lim for his part explained that, the shredding of the illegally imported fake goods is a standard procedure in the Bureau of Customs as required by law.

“We cannot allow these fake goods to stay any longer in the custody of the BOC as it might find its way back into the local market,” Lim stressed. The BOC-IG directly supervises the IPRD which is headed by lawyer Zsae Carrie De Guzman.

De Guzman for her part said, the raid of the stall at the Kings Plaza in Binondo, Manila was undertaken in coordination with the owners of world famous brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chanel, Burberry, Gucci, Balenciaga and Givenchy.