Philippines STAR MAY 6, 2007
NBI seizes P1-M worth of fake designer jeans
The National Bureau Investigation (NBI) recently confiscated over P1 million worth of allegedly counterfeit designer jeans from a store outlet and two stockrooms of a trader in PasayCity. NBI Intellectual property Rights Division head agent Jose Justo Yap said they raided the store of Lacrosse Jeans Station located at Pasilio E-31, 33 and 35 of the Baclaran station of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) shopping mall, which was owned by a certain James Ang. The agents also raided Lacrosse’s two stock rooms at Units JBG-10 and JBG-16 at the ground floor of JB building on Kapitan Ambo street in PasayCity. The NBI seized a total of 1,224 pairs of the imitation Lee jeans in three raids. Market research firm Orion Support Inc. (OSI) told Yap that Lacrosse was engaged in selling the fake designer jeans. The NBI conducted surveillance and test-buy operations that confirmed suspicions that the firm was engaged in illegal activities. The NBI then secured a search warrant from executive Jude Reynaldo Ros of the manila City Regional Trial Court. The NBI is now preparing charge of trademark infringement under the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines against the owner and operators of Lacrosse Jeans Stations.