The Bureau of Customs (BoC), in collaboration with international brand Guess, said Monday it is intensifying efforts to combat counterfeit goods and intellectual property rights (IPR) violations, in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to eradicate illicit trade and protect Filipino consumers.

This comes as the BoC reported seizing over 1.727 million pieces of counterfeit merchandise worth an estimated P15.8 billion during inspections of several warehouses in a commercial complex in Divisoria, Manila, last Friday.

The operation involved Atty. Kristian Nico Acosta, legal head of Guess Group in the Philippines, and the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Intellectual Property Rights Division (CIIS-IPRD).

The seized goods illegally used trademarks of well-known international brands such as Guess, Michael Kors, Coach, Louis Vuitton, and Tory Burch, and included purses, clothing, and accessories.

Guess Group representatives verified that a significant portion of the seized merchandise were unauthorized replicas of their brand. Acosta expressed deep appreciation to the BoC for its leadership and intensified enforcement efforts.

He also warned the public about the health, safety, and financial risks associated with counterfeit goods, urging consumers to refrain from purchasing them, as they harm legitimate businesses and distort fair competition.

Acosta said that the target of the recent operation had been flagged by the Philippine Intellectual Property Office and was on Guess’ internal watchlist for an extended period. He said these counterfeiters were distributing fakes through physical stores and online platforms, endangering consumers and the brand’s reputation.

He praised the work of Deputy Commissioner Juvymax R. Uy of the Intelligence Group for leading to more efficient processes, the use of advanced technology in investigations, and operational transparency, stating that the BoC-IPRD is now a model agency for international IP enforcement.