NBI seizes fake products

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) announced Wednesday that it has seized more than P170 million in fake branded caps and sports apparel during a series of raids last week.

The NBI’s Fraud and Financial Crimes Division executed search warrants on 15 stalls in Binondo and one in San Nicolas for trademark infringement.

The operation was launched after the popular brands New Era and ‘47 filed a complaint seeking to stop the spread of counterfeit products.

New Era, which was founded in 1920, holds licenses for major American sports leagues including the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL.

The raids resulted in the confiscation of 33,744 pieces of products with the New Era trademark and 15,103 pieces with the ‘47 trademark. The total estimated value of the seized goods is P170,309,900.

In a separate report Tuesday, the NBI announced the arrest of three individuals in Cavite and La Union for offering unauthorized internet services.

The NBI-Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD) arrested two suspects in General Trias City, Cavite, and another in Naguilian, La Union.

The arrests came after a complaint was filed by an internet service provider against a Facebook account called “RECON VERGECON,” which was offering illegal services such as reactivating disconnected internet accounts and boosting speeds for a lower price.

NBI-CCD agents traced the illegal activities to a residence in General Trias City, Cavite, where two suspects were arrested on 28 August. In a follow-up operation on 16 September, agents arrested another suspect in Naguilian, La Union, after tracing unauthorized activities to that location.

The suspects face charges including misuse of devices, system interference, and unauthorized distribution of network services.