NBI seizes fake Casio calculators, Cricket lighters

In two separate operations in Manila, agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confiscated P10 million worth of fake Casio calculators and Cricket lighters amounting to P1.6 million.

Assistant Regional Director Jose Justo Yap, of the Intellectual Property Rights Division (IPRD), said they raided an establishment at the third floor of the G7 Sons Building on Pereira street, where fake Casio electronic products were seized.

They also seized 94,500 fake Cricket lighters from Room 305 at the 3rd floor of the Lee Building on C.M. Recto Avenue in Binondo, Manila; and Room 10 at the ground floor of the RAN-PMC-DNI Properties Management Corp. Distribution Network Inc. in Tutuban, Tondo.

Swedish Match Philippines Inc., the official distributor of Cricket lighters in the country, was the complainant in this case, Yap said.

Special Investigator 3 Adjutor Larosa said that on July 21, elements of the IPRD-NBI secured a search warrant from Executive Judge Antonio Eugenio Jr., of Branch 24 of the Manila City Regional Trial Court.

Recovered in the first raid were several electronic calculators, electronic desktop calculators, electronic printing desktop calculators and electronic games worth P10 million.

These items were taken by agents to the storage area Sekuirit System and Allied Services Inc. located in Barangay San Martin de Porres, Parañaque City.

Five days later, the IPRD confiscated fake lighters on the strength of a search warrant also issued by Eugenio.

These items were transferred to a private bonded warehouse facility for temporary storage.

Charges of violation of the Republic Act 8293, or the Intellectual Property Code, are set to be filed against the named respondents in the search warrants.